“I feel like there’s something there,” my friend Herbert keeps telling me. What he refers to is my knowledge of Pokémon and, particularly, Pokémon cards.
At his suggestion, I started a draft of a book proposal covering Pokémon card collecting. I had a lot of fun and early momentum with it, but, eventually, I started questioning whether it wasn’t just a distraction from other books I cared about writing more. For now, it rests on the shelf.
Since I got back into collecting, I occasionally post on Reddit. Cards I pulled from booster packs, binder pages I put together, rare finds I made a deal on. Several of my posts got way more traction than I expected, and twice now I’ve accidentally caused a shitstorm of epic proportions. 400,000 views, hundreds of comments, the works. There’s always so much to learn from the comments.
Like most collectors, I religiously frequent various Youtube channels for updates on the market, cards that are currently cheaply priced, and the occasional pack opening to watch. Lately, I’m itching to start my own, as it feels like the fastest, most efficient way to get my ideas out there.
Every month, I tell myself, “Okay, I’m done for now. No more card buying, selling products, or investing into new stuff.” But then every month, more amazing stuff happens, and I just keep going. However, it’s not only the hobby itself that keeps pulling me in. It’s that after almost three years of intense study and activity, I have so much pent up knowledge I’m dying to share. It’s as if the universe is telling me, “Yo, you really need to make something here.”
“Make” is my theme for the year. When it started, I was working on a new nonfiction book and a novel. And of course, I’ll never stop writing. But if I want to stay true to my theme, it shouldn’t matter all that much what I make, should it? After more than a year, I finally found a new video format I can try to keep my Youtube channel alive. I released the first one. That, too, was making something.
It’s rarely easy to find the time and right channel, but if you’ve acquired a lot of knowledge and are excited about the possibility of sharing it, don’t wait. Launch small experiments, check if you get traction, and who knows? Maybe a new career is already waiting for you. Or a nice side gig. Or, if your hobby is meant to stay a hobby, you’ll find that out, too.
Knowledge wants to get out there. Share it freely, and see how the world reacts.
