[bruce511]

Yes, and no. It depends.

On the one hand, yes. Turning fun into work can rob you of the pleasure part. I do ceramics in as a hobby and it's fun. I'm not terribly good. The fun is in the random creation and seeing how it comes out. If I had to make 100 pots the same I'd go mad. I made one piece on commission and I didn't like that.

On the other hand, I started programming at 12 years old. I got my first programming job at 22. By then I was well practiced at my craft, and I loved the work part - the completion of projects, the conforming to customer requirements etc.

Thirty-something years later and I'm still programming. I still enjoy it. It still gets me out of bed, and it still challenges me. I've made a career put of doing something I love, and that's a huge blessing.

So yes, it can kill joy in something you love, or it can lead to a fulfilling career getting paid for doing the thing you like most. The latter though is a rare gift most of us are not given.