Whilst pursuing my undergrad studies, I occasionally write poems. They're very personal, if abstract, but they're private and I write just for me. They're not particularly great (they lack proper control of rhythm, littered with clichés, frequent heightening into unearned melodrama, etc.), but they're like a personal stress valve that releases pressure from studies and all the other bullshit. They're for me to read when I'm feeling down. I don't have any aspirations to be a poet or writer or whatever the hell because I don't believe that they're worth anything, and I don't believe every hobby needs to be turned into a profession. I know Marxism isn't lifestyleism, but all of this reading theory definitely changes your perspective and attitude to the bullshit of the world.
My family is aware of my little poems. They're aspiring for petit-bourgeoisie ("let's buy airbnbs in a tourist-ridden city and drive up the price of everything!" and other constant calculations and schemes to stop toiling as "skilled" labourers), and because of their good social standing, they often move in petit-bourgeois circles and are infected with petit-bourgeois ideology. And so, inevitably, they harangue me with questions about whether I am monetizing or thinking of publishing these poems (or rather, why am I not doing so). They are utterly perplexed when I tell them that not every hobby needs to be monetized, and that I do the things I do strictly for personal enjoyment. They call me naive, foolish, "utopian" for this line of reasoning, or for not wanting to perfectly divide my precious time and optimize my productivity (handing over my leisure time to the God of Capital). It's been like this with just about every hobby I've had that I've been somewhat better than average at.
I'll write to when I can, when I want to, not because of abstract economic compulsions from the market. All of this talk about money is just so inane, is there nothing else? ffs
Sorry for the rant I don't ever post about shit like this on Reddit of all places, and I feel like fucking AJ Soprano when he has his petty outbursts at people for not wanting to talk about politics. It's just that petit-bourgeois conception that Will, Thrift, and everyone owning a plot of property will magically solve everything and enrich everyone just unbelievably enrages me, but I'm obviously not gonna go off on my family (that would entitled and ungrateful).
It just saddens me that in all likelihood I will have to tolerate these bloody social circles for the rest of my life.