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Disability/chronic illness life is not being allowed to enjoy a hobby or talent without someone rushing to tell you how to monetize it and when you say you're not interested in that they say, "I was just trying to help, jeeze!" (thread) #NEISvoid
Help with what? Are you reducing my pain? Paying my medical bills? Fighting for my equality and healthcare rights? Or are you actually just projecting the ableist belief that unless I can participate in capitalism, I'm not able to be useful to society and live a worthy life?
On top of that, people have an extremely warped idea of what it takes to turn a hobby or talent into a job for anyone, let alone disabled folk.
1) Just because I can do something you can't, didn't mean it's easy. I have to be able to do the thing consistently and produce enough
1) Just because I can do something you can't, didn't mean it's easy. I have to be able to do the thing consistently and produce enough
to make a profit. Considering I'm disabled, that's not always possible. Most of my hobbies are physically demanding (arts & crafts) and the one decent thing you saw me make on Instagram probably took all day, or many days, with lots of breaks and pain afterwards.
2) Making enough of something to turn a profit requires supplies and often technology. That's expensive. For example, one of my hobbies would cost AT LEAST 1k to get enough supplies and updated tech to create quality items that could actually appeal to most buyers.
Idk about y'all but I don't have a spare grand lying around, and when I do have extra, it immediately goes toward survival needs and not expensive craft supplies. Which leads me to:
3) The market for many hobbies is oversaturated. When you say "I've seen stuff like that sell on Etsy" that means there's a lot of this already out there, and it's often being made by people with high quality supplies and technology. Many of those creators are also not
disabled, and/or they are supported by someone with a regular job or a main job of their own, so they've got the time and safety net to try. Unless you happen to have an impressive online following willing to get you started, you NEED that startup money and safety net.
4) Last but certainly not least: Surviving disability, pain and illness is a full-time job. It's unpredictable and unforgiving. It can be depressing and exhausting. Hobbies are a release, an escape. We don't always have the ability to do them, so when we do, it's precious.
It's one thing to casually sell a piece here and there, but if it's actually necessary as a source of income, the pressure would defeat the purpose. There are very few hobbies or talents I'd be willing to monetize, even if I could.
Disabled people deserve to enjoy things without feeling guilty that they aren't productive or making money. Full stop. Your suggestions aren't helpful because we weren't asking for them. Prioritize being a better ally and listening to our actual needs over your projections.
