Post-90s Slash Youth: Another Possibility for Hobbies

Two things are sure to be bestsellers at the end of the year: calendars and goals. Setting goals and making plans seem like everyone's talking. As 2019 approaches, have you achieved your goals for 2019? Whether in work or life, execution is paramount.

Faced with the various possibilities of interests and hobbies, those born in the 1990s who are starting to suffer from hair loss are becoming the first group to take action.

Working a stable job was once the norm for our parents' generation. However, unlike their parents, many people born in the 1990s have turned their hobbies into careers.

The once inexplicably popular phrase, " A tailor who can't cook isn't a good driver," now seems to have become the norm. Programmers and independent photographers, literary editors and young translators, lawyers and food writers, product managers and travel experts—more and more labels are appearing on the post- 90s generation. These multiple jobs and identities embody the defining characteristics of the slash generation .

In the era of knowledge economy, people's demand for segmented services is increasing. The Internet promotes the free flow of information and provides people with more opportunities: as long as you have a skill, you can provide services to others in your field of expertise and get paid.

Going to work/getting off work, with just one transition, you can discover the two life states of slash youth, such as the slash youth around the editor - Xiao Ke.

Xiao Ke is a newcomer to the slash worker class. During the week, she works as a product designer for an academic publishing company. Outside of work, she's a travel blogger, traveling, retouching photos, and writing articles, sharing her travel tips and experiences with others.

Xiao Ke has loved backpacking since college. After graduating and working in Beijing, she continued this passion, often taking high-speed trains on weekends. Xiao Ke documented her travels, photographing them as she went, and has traveled extensively across China. From consulting with friends to sharing travel guides online, she's gradually gained popularity.

Xiao Ke's new role as a travel blogger has enriched her life and brought her extra income. This has also inspired her to pursue this hobby professionally. Given her productivity needs, her desktop computer, previously used solely for work, is no longer sufficient. This year, Xiao Ke decisively invested in a high-performance laptop, one for work and one for taking with her on trips, editing photos, and writing travelogues. From the display imaging to the speed and portability, it's perfectly suited to her needs, making it an excellent addition.

Nowadays, everyone loves traveling, and checking in and posting photos is commonplace. However, not everyone treats it as a career. Xiao Ke says her journey wasn't initially driven by the goal of a second career, but simply by her passion. The photography skills she developed and the experiences she accumulated during her travels naturally led her to where she is today. "You also need to be unique, whether in your writing or your photos. Simply visiting scenic spots is outdated; people are craving new ways to experience new things."

Playing becomes a serious matter, which also means that more energy needs to be invested.

A niche route requires exploring unknown interests and considering the feasibility of various factors. Behind every beautiful photo, time and energy are often invested in conception, framing, and post-production. The carefree life that others see is actually not easy, which requires Xiao Ke to be more self-disciplined and complete her creations in her limited spare time. Home after get off work is Xiao Ke's second battlefield: research, photo editing, and writing. "Hobbies can also be hard work, because when you need to 'give birth' to something, you often need to absorb and digest more. Once you go deeper, things will become more and more interesting."

On weekends, Xiao Ke would take her computer to the bookstore to study for a while, think about the upcoming travel themes, and record them on her computer.

Just like the two sides of a coin, beyond the glamour and beauty, there are more unknown sacrifices.

Xiao Ke never hesitates to invest in her hobbies. A year ago, she upgraded to a full-frame mirrorless camera, fulfilling her dream of upgrading her image quality. Now, this computer, equipped with an eighth-generation Core i7 processor, has solved her photo editing headaches. Photoshop no longer freezes when opening multiple high-definition photos, and she can seamlessly switch between Photoshop, LR, and other editing programs, saving her considerable time. Xiao Ke is also willing to invest in knowledge, having completed a portrait course in the past two months. Whether investing in hardware or software, the key lies in persistent learning and putting it into practice.

Turning a hobby into a career may sound romantic, but it's not easy. Before heading down the rabbit hole to a new possibility, slash youth are finding multiple values ​​through action. In the coming 2019, will you also be brave enough to take this step?

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