4. Side Projects Turned Into Side Jobs

Remember when hobbies were hobbies? When doing something badly was still fun? The side hustle economy turned leisure into labor. That painting hobby? Sell prints. That podcast idea? Monetize it. When every passion has to justify itself financially, creativity stops being play—it becomes performance.

5. The Hustle Isn’t the Problem—The Pressure Is

Side hustles can still be beautiful—they spark creativity, autonomy, and possibility. The issue is the expectation that everyone should have one. It’s okay to be ambitious, but it’s also okay to be enough. The goal isn’t endless output—it’s agency: the freedom to choose when to work, when to rest, and when to just live.