How Hobby Become Work in Creative Economy

The following paper is devoted to leisure studies specifically leisure-work dichotomy. The problem of the research is based on the contradiction caused by replacing formal paid-work activities by hobby as the main source of income therefore from leisure activity to enjoy hobby turns to routine one. It is easily observed in digital sphere so-called creative economy due to used theoretical framework. Since new information technologies changed our lifestyles greatly and made it possible to engage into work and leisure activities outside their usual context it becomes challenging now to reveal borders between hobby as a leisure activity or as a paid work. The main goal of my research is to explore socially determined problems of turning hobby into an occupation in the digital sphere and clarify what happens with hobby when it’s placed in routine formal framework. The main problem which is raised in my research based on a contradiction between common sense, theoretical background where hobby is considered as a voluntary activity intended for recreation implementing creativity during leisure and empirical results which show that there are a lot of cases when using digital sphere hobby becomes real paid work with all the consequences. The aim of my research is to explore socially determined problems of turning hobby into an occupation. Object of my research is those who are engaged in a hobby as the main or on the most important sources of earning money. In particular the hobby types relating to digital sphere will be considered. Subject – motives and strategies of transforming hobby into work, changings of meanings and perceptions of a hobby as an occupation.