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In the business section of the NY Times last month, the paper allowed Frank Hyman to tell his inspiring story about how he has combined seven avocations into a career:

In 1986, I was a 26-year-old college dropout and world traveler who had decided that I didn't want a job, much less a career. What I really wanted was to get paid for my hobbies: writing, gardening and politics. So I made that my goal.

By the age of 28, I was writing freelance articles for a regional newspaper. At 32, I started a successful gardening business. And at 33, I cut off my ponytail, borrowed a suit and unseated an incumbent to gain a seat on the City Council in Durham, N.C., where I served part time for four years.

Now I make a comfortable living from the following seven hobbies -- though sometimes I prefer the terms "avocations" or "callings," as they better reflect my seriousness.

Frank's avocations include sculpture, stonemasonry, woodworking, gardening, photography, writing, and politics:

I feel as if I haven't had a regular "job" since 1992. I'm riding out the recession just fine -- staying busy during the course of the day with what strikes my mood. Often, that means writing in the morning, making gardens or sculptures in the afternoon, and always carrying my Canon camera while on errands.

Check out Frank's secrets to a successful life as a full-time freelancer!

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