Why force it and ruin the joy

I have been teaching pastels for around 6 years now and many of my students don't know what to do with their finished pieces.  They frame them, store them, give them away but they don't want to actually sell them.  Why? 

My students are generally over 40 and they have careers.  Art is a therapy to help them relax and clear their heads of the stress in their everyday lives.  Mental health professionals know that art helps for several reasons including; 

It helps people feel more in control of their own lives.

It relieves anxiety and depression, including among cancer patients, tuberculosis patients in isolation, and military veterans with PTSD.

It assists in managing pain by moving mental focus away from the painful stimulus.

It boosts cognitive function, emotional resilience, and self-confidence.

It reduces stress and aids conflict resolution.

It encourages creative expression and provides a safe space for feelings.

Turning a hobby into a business adds stress to the creation of art, adds stress in costs of materials and marketing, You feel the need to justify your business (there are other things that are more lucrative). You open yourself to criticism from strangers and expose yourself to their unkind statements.

Creating art is a joyful experience where I try to help my students see what they can do.  I want them to understand that while they don't feel like they are very good, they are creating something beautiful.  Art doesn't need to be perfect, in fact; it rarely is and it works.  In the end, it is the creation that my students are there for, not the finished product.  They might think they are there for the final image but really, they are not.  If you are creating art to sell, you don't get to enjoy the creative process as much.  You have deadlines that must be met.

So when you have a relative, friend, spouse or child who does art, just let them enjoy doing it.  If they decide on their own they want to sell, let them but if they just want to give it away, that is fine too.  Don't look at how much they have spent to create it, you don't look at your gym membership to see how you can make money.  You do it for your health.  Look at their joy of art the same way.  A good therapist can cost you thousands in a year, art supplies might just be cheaper.