The happy confluence of commerce and art
Any music project I begin has two components: an artistic and a business side. I may toy with an idea as a hobby, but to get serious requires a prospective audience or I never really get motivated. Similarly, ideas that seem great moneymakers but don't inspire me will never get off the ground.
For example, I started playing classical music because I was looking for a challenge. Despite years of hearing "you should play X", it wasn't until I got excited by Bach's lute suites that I expanded to Beethoven's Für Elise (or at least the section that works on dulcimer, which is conveniently also the most recognizable part). I'm not financially motivated, in general, but the idea of broadening my audience conspired with the fun I was having with the music.
For years I felt called to Argentina, and I took a vacation there in 2011 only to pine for my instrument and ache to busk. This inspired my return tour, but I also went to South America to improve my Spanish and therefore my exposure to a rising segment of the US population. And, in addition to the thrill of resurrecting obscure music, I'm learning neglected 17th C composers to break into Early Music performance venues (a 1650 dulcimer tuning lines up nicely with music of the time).
In every case I'm working from an artistic impulse, but tailored to a practical end. It's part planning, part rationalization, but I try and make every project do double duty. The commercial aspect isn't separate from what excites me: a strong business rationale actually makes me more excited for the projects.