How did I Turn My Hobby into a Career -The Journey Up to Knovik
The journey I began around three years ago has been the key to where I stand today. In the upcoming sections of this article, I'll share how writing has tested me, supported me, and shaped me into who I am now at Knovik. It's been a challenging yet rewarding path, and I can't wait to show you how does turning my hobby into a career at Knovik feel.
The Hidden Story Behind My Hobby
Let me take you back to the day my parents introduced me to the world of letters ("Akuru Kiyaweeme Dinaya"). In Sri Lanka, it’s a special tradition. Parents, relatives, and neighbors all gather to witness the child touch a pencil and books for the very first time. Most children eagerly grabbed the pencil and started scribbling on paper, but my story was a little different.
According to my mother, I couldn’t do it. She was shocked, unsure of what was happening. The others reassured her, saying, "Some children just need more time to get the hang of holding a pencil."
Unlike most kids, I didn’t go to playgroup or lower kindergarten. I jumped straight into Upper Kindergarten (UKG). Even now, I don’t know why, but here’s the strange part. When I started UKG, I still couldn’t hold a pencil properly. My mother told my teacher, and instead of worrying, the teacher smiled and said, "Don’t worry, I’ll help him. Tomorrow, bring some Eakle sticks, and we’ll start there. He’ll get it."
Meanwhile, my classmates were already writing, and there I was, still struggling to hold a pencil. I later learned in my biology classes that this ability to hold a pencil is called "precision gripping," a unique skill humans have thanks to our skeletal structure. But I often wondered, why did it take me so long to master this basic skill?
Thankfully, with my teacher’s patience and my mother’s encouragement, I eventually learned how to hold a pencil and write. But what if I hadn’t? What if, despite their efforts, I still couldn’t grasp it? Ask yourself that question and imagine how different things could have been.
Because of that delay, while writing, still I hold my pen differently when compared with others
The Foundation of Writing as a Hobby (Turning a Hobby into a Career)
The roots of my writing hobby go back to my school days. Thanks to my parents' hard work, I had the privilege of studying at an international school from UKG to my Advanced Levels. As a bonus, I was taught all subjects in English (except for Sinhala), which gave me an edge early on.
When it comes to language, I believe students from international schools have an advantage over those in Sri Lankan government schools. I was speaking, reading, and writing in English from a young age. No, I wasn’t a product of Sri Lanka's free education system not up to this point, anyway.
My first real spark for writing came after reading David Copperfield. The story left such an impression on me that I decided to write my own, using the same plot. In Grade 9, I proudly shared my version with my friends, but they all laughed when they realized it was almost identical to what we had read in our English Literature class.
At the time, I didn’t even realize that writing had already become my hobby. But imagine, turning a hobby into a career? Also never ever thought my hobby as a career. I was too busy dreaming of becoming a doctor, completely unaware that the seed for something greater had already been planted.
How did the COVID-19 Pandemic Supported Me to Identify the Skill of Writing?
In March 2020, I got stuck in a district far from my hometown because of the lockdown. I was staying at a friend’s house for my Advanced Level tuition classes. I could only talk to my family on the phone, and I often felt very lonely. To pass the time, I started listening to Sinhala radio programs where poets and lyricists shared their work.
Inspired by them, I began writing my own Sinhala lyrics, quotes, and poems. A year later, while waiting for my Advanced Level results, I even started writing a Sinhala novel. However, I couldn’t finish it, and it remains halfway written.
Still, I write Sinhala/ English poems, quotes, and Sinhala short stories frequently. You can check them out by scrolling through my FB Account, my FB page, and my Youtube channel Upek Pasandul, Masterpiece 2.0, & Stories of Upek. If you are interested in reading English storytelling Youtube shorts created by me, check out my new Youtube channel Echoes of Serenity
When I was writing this book, I started changing my WhatsApp Bio to "Seeking Something Through Writing". Still, that WhatsApp bio remains the same, but whenever I see it, now it hits differently.
How My Hobby Turned into A Career First: Turning a Hobby into a Job
In 2022, while I was busy with my Sinhala lyrics, poetry, and quotes, something unexpected happened. I accidentally stumbled into writing English articles! One day, I saw an FB post in a public group looking for a "Sinhala to English Translator." Without overthinking, I slid into the DMs. The person replied, asking, "Can you write English articles?" Now, I had no clue about article writing, but thanks to my English skills, I confidently said, "Yeah, sure!"
At the same time, I was preparing for my third attempt at Advanced Levels, still chasing the dream of becoming a doctor. But out of nowhere, I started earning a little income from writing. The guy gave me some basic knowledge of SEO writing nothing too deep, just the ABCs.
The first blog I wrote for him got AdSense approval in a month! To celebrate, he launched two more projects in different niches and handed them over to me. Both of those got AdSense approval too!
But, when I started earning through Fiverr, I was unable to work on those projects properly. I took a step backward from those. Focused on English scriptwriting for cash cow videos on Fiverr. As a result of that, just after two months of earnings, I was able to purchase my dream motorbike. In my opinion, it is the first milestone I achieved by turning my hobby into a career in my Freelancing journey.
How Did I Join Knovik & Turned My Hobby as a Career Again?
At this point, my high-earning Fiverr account got permanently banned for reasons I still don’t know! Fast forward to September 2023, and there I was, scrolling through FB when I came across a job post looking for an English Content Writer for an ongoing project.
I didn’t expect much from applying, especially since the person who posted it was someone, I really admired an absolute icon in my life. But guess what? A while later, he sent me an assessment with a deadline! I followed all the guidelines, did my best, and submitted it. Then... crickets. No feedback, no response. So, after waiting, I sent a polite DM: "Did you select anyone as your writer?" Still nothing.
Then, about 15 days later, I got an offer! I was totally overwhelmed. Working with him was a dream come true.
I agreed immediately and dove into learning SEO from him and his team. They guided me through everything at Knovik, and soon, the second article I wrote hit #2 on Google SERPs! Not rocket science, but still a major win for me!
Conclusion
Do you have a dream of making your hobby your career? It's no more a joke if you read how I turn my hobby into a career explained above. Turning your hobby into a career is the easiest way to satisfy your life on what you do in your lifetime. This is for all of you who read this. Turn all of your hobbies into careers as I did. Best of luck!
