Today in a random thought experiment I considered the concept of non-hobbyists being employed to work with brick-based construction toys. What if, for example, someone set up a MOC production factory of sorts where people ran 9-to-5 weekday shifts designing LEGO cars & buildings & such, just for the paycheck, with little to no lasting interest in what they were doing. There could be managers who would handle scheduling and work priorities, bring multiple builders together as required for larger projects, etc. Then there would be talking heads (actors, essentially) who would present the MOCs with simulated enthusiasm on TV or at shows, in social media and so on. What a ludicrous, completely unfeasible scenario, I thought. You can't engage in a creative endeavor without having any passion for it. You certainly can't be successful at it.
Oh, how narrow-minded I was being until I snapped out of it and came to my senses. You can be successful at such a thing and the scenario absolutely is feasible. So long as you're able to provide a service that enough people desire and you're able to monetize it, you can generate revenue. If your product is entertainment, it matters not whether you, yourself, enjoy it or believe in it in any way, so long as your consumers get something they want from it. Look no further than "scripted reality" TV for an example. It is largely fake & contrived, yet a cash cow of an industry for everyone from actors to studio execs. Even on our beloved YouTube, many popular and wildly successful creators are stressed and drained in real life and dislike their own online-only personas. Viewers don't care about any of that hidden reality, they only care about what's perceptible in the content that gets published.
I believe if I put my mind to it, I could convert the JANGBRiCKS brand into something designed & mechanized primarily for profits, with any other forms of positive returns being just happy bonuses. I just don't want to. The idea isn't repulsive, it's just so foreign to me and so far from my mental base that by default, I consider it unfathomable. For me, this whole brick-based construction toy thing is a personally enjoyable hobby first, with all other concerns playing second fiddle. That's how I like it to be, and that's how I'm absolutely dedicated to keeping it.
Keep doing what you love. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us. My son and I really like your stuff!
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