I think it depends on how you choose to make art part of your life. Art can absolutely be a hobby. I’ve met people who paint on weekends because their main focus is somewhere else, just like I’ve met hobby programmers or people who create things from wood as a hobby.

For me personally, art is not a hobby anymore. It’s my main work, something I dedicate most of my time to, and something I have to live from and pay my bills with.

So I don’t think the question is whether art itself is a hobby. It’s about why you create, how much of your life you dedicate to it, and what role you choose for art to have in your life