The biggest pull for a lot of freelancers is the opportunity to have more time to do the things they love. To spend less time commuting and building someone else’s brand and more time working hard at building their own to give them the freedom they’ve always dreamt of.

For me this freedom always came hand in hand with travel. For as long as I can remember, the prospect of distant lands at the tips of my fingers filled me with warmth. I knew that I had to forge a career that wouldn’t just limit me to 4 weeks of travel a year.

Now that I’m a freelancer I can travel where I want, when I want (within reason, obviously, thanks to tricky visas and other logistical stuff).

I know a lot of you here are either working from the road, looking to work from the road, or are freelancers who inject a lot of time to travel into their schedule. I mean, why wouldn’t you? If you have the time and the money, then why not?

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Money.

That’s the thing that stops a lot of people. Some might quit their job for a few weeks to travel to Asia, South America, or the Pacific Islands, but have accepted the fact they’ll have to return to work when they get back.

With this new era of technology the world has moved into, this is no longer necessary. What would you say if I told you it’s totally possible to do what you love on the road and turn your hobby into a freelance career?

She’s having a laugh, you say. But hear me out.

Turn Your Hobby into a Freelance Career: Why It’s Totally Possible

Since I was a little girl I’ve spent a huge chunk of my spare time writing. I love the feeling of a narrative coming together, of using words to illustrate a feeling, an emotion, or a thought.

If I wasn’t a freelance writer I would absolutely keep writing in my spare time.

For years I didn’t think it would be possible to turn my love of writing into a career, unless of course I wrote the next bestselling book and took off into a life of fame and fortune. We all know how totally do-able that is, right?!

And, whilst the golden age of freelance writing seems to have passed, I can actually tell you it hasn’t. It’s the same with any business you can run online, and even those you can’t.

With the emergence of platforms like Etsy and Ebay, and with your potential audience now spanning the globe rather than your city, there’s no time like the present to turn your hobby into a freelance career.

The Benefits of Turning Your Hobby into a Travel-Friendly Career

Yeah, this is pretty self-explanatory, right?

As a freelancer with your own stream of income, you can work from anywhere in the world. A villa in Italy. A beach in Thailand. A hut in the woods in Canada (this is my ultimate dream!). Literally anywhere.

You set your own hours and do as much or as little work as you need to keep you on the move.

So many people dub themselves as Digital Nomads these day – and there’s a reason for it. The internet and all the wonderful goodness that comes with it means you can turn your hobby into a freelance career (whether it’s writing, art, or otherwise) in a matter of minutes and start picking up clients all over the world immediately.

The best part is you get to dictate how you spend your days. And, when your hobby’s your career, it kind of doesn’t feel like working (but make sure you take some time away from work regularly to refuel!).

Can You Turn Your Hobby into a Freelance Career?

Pretty much any hobby can be turned into a freelance business. Even if you have an obscure way you like to pass your spare time, you can guarantee there’s a need or a want for it out there.

• Photography – I know a lot of you are keen photographers, and with affordable high-end cameras available all over the shop, it’s easy to hone your skills and start selling your services to local companies or via online shops.
• Writing – Writing is perhaps the easiest hobby to turn into a freelance career as all you need is a laptop and your fast fingers. Create a portfolio website, write up a few samples, and start pitching to brands, publications, and blogs you feel a connection with.
• Crafts – Do you like to make jewellery in your spare time? Or perhaps you’re a dab hand at wood carving. Arts and crafts can easily be turned into freelance businesses with the likes of Etsy and other online shop platforms. You don’t even have to worry about the shipping costs with most sites, so you just create the goods and position them to the right buyers.
• Sports – Okay so if, unlike me, you’re a keen sports enthusiast, you can even turn this into a freelance business. Sell training services to locals, offer some hours up to local surf schools, or set up yoga groups while you’re on the move.

Even if you’re hobby is really niche, like collecting stamps, you can craft guides and books to sell, or offer your services to antique shops (okay, I’m not entirely sure how stamp collecting works, but I’m sure there’s a creative way to monetize your interest in it!).

Remember to Start Small

You probably won’t make millions when you turn your hobby into a freelance career (well, I mean, you might but it’s unlikely), but as long as you cover the costs of your travel and accommodation with a bit left over to spare, you’ll be laughing all the way around the Louvre and up the Eiffel Tower.

It’s really important to start small and take tiny steps, though, because a) you don’t want to spend all your time and energy on your business – uh, you want to travel and see the world, right? And b) because it’s your hobby and you really don’t want to end up hating it.

Begin by creating a great website and slowly telling friends and family about what you’re doing. Discuss your projects with fellow travellers as you meet them on the road, and seek out ways you can connect with like-minded people in the places you visit.

This is the best and most authentic way to build a business – get other people to vouch for you and your business will grow by itself.

The Logistics

Okay, bearer of bad news alert. Though the world is all interconnected and digitally attached at this point, it can still be tricky working out what laws there are regarding working as you travel.

It’s well worth looking into this before you begin to see where the land lies in the places you want to visit and the area of business you’re looking to go into.

If you need resources and other things to carry out your business, too, make sure you can easily access these along the way.

How to Keep it Going While You Travel

• Check in every day – make sure you check in with your business every day to see how it’s doing and where you can go next.
• Network, network, network – there will be tonnes of like-minded people doing similar things to you in the places you visit, so connect with them and really put yourself out there.
• Be professional – even though you might just consider what you’re doing a “hobby that pays”, you want to keep things professional at all times for the sake of your business and future endeavours.
• Don’t be a slave to it – if you realize two months in that you’re really not enjoying the freelancing life, don’t be afraid to give it up and look elsewhere. It takes time to find a career that works for you and your lifestyle, so spend time experimenting and finding something you love waking up in the morning for.

Have you taken your hobby on the road and turned it into a freelance business? I’d love, love, love to hear from you in the comments below!