Why Is It Bad To Do What You Love?
Given my status as a recent graduate, it’s only fitting to write about seeking a career. The ultimate task that will direct my path into adulthood. Should be easy, right? I’m a writer; it’s what I do, how I think, how I interact with the world. My lens. And once I stop being lazy and get my work published, I’ll get paid for doing what I love. Bonus!
But wait–there’s more:
“If you tell yourself that your job has to be something you’d do even if you didn’t get paid, you’ll be looking for a long time. Maybe forever. So why set that standard? The reward for doing a job is contributing to something larger than you are, participating in society, and being valued in the form of money.”
That quote comes from a post I found at Brazen Careerist. The title, “Bad career advice: Do what you love,” is what pulled me into the article. I wondered what was so wrong about wanting a happy, enjoyable career. Thankfully, I read on, discovering an interesting take on the subject. Due to the complexity of humans (we’re “like onions,” 
full of layers), it’s impossible to love any one thing. Just look at my myriad hobbies and interests; they’re weeds that grow every day. I haven’t time to tame them all, though as a writer, it’s easy to think of ways in which to incorporate several, if not all.
Even then, life as a writer is challenging. It’s not guaranteed money, at least not in my subfield (fiction). The thought always lingers in the back of my mind. After my freshman year at uni, I decided to move writing to the back-burner. That presented a new problem: what else could I focus my life on? What could possibly motivate me enough to wake up day after day and think: “Yeah, this is what I do. This is who I am.” Long story short, I found myself back where I started. Instead of returning to an English major, however, I signed up for liberal studies. Concentrated on three subjects, and yet here I am again. Still appetent to write, still trying to find my place.
I think the “problem” started with my first job. At orientation, one of the managers told us: “If a job stops being fun for you, move on.” It makes sense, so I adopted it as a mantra. After all, who wants a job that leads no where and stimulates nothing more than agonising boredom?
The problem, however, remains. If all I know is what I’m good at, what interests me, and what I see myself doing every day for the rest of my life (writing), how then do I find a job that fits? Penelope Trunk says: “Do not what you love; do what you are.” Okay… so what am I? A long, never-ending philosophical question for sure. I don’t think any job will ever fully answer that for me. I may find work and I hope I enjoy that work. At the end of the day, though, “what am I?” will still be answered: “An artist.” It’s unavoidable. It’s how I define myself and how I view the world. No job will change that.
Regardless, we all need a regular income. As Trunk advises: “Take a job. Any job… Just do something that caters to your strengths. Do anything.” The heart of career advice. In that respect, “what am I?” can easily be applied. As an artist–and through all of my interests–my ultimate goal is the constant quest for knowledge, improvement. Learning never ends; that’s something I’ve always cherished and relied on. I love learning new things, and I love deepening what I already know.
That’s my guide, my motivation. What I am is a strong-willed, open-minded, creative individual who can take any challenge placed before me and thrive. 
Rewind, Hold Up! Start Again?
Learning never ends. A concept I’ve grown fond of over the years. Regardless, my career in an academic setting is finally at an end (unless I pursue graduate school). So much time and money invested in a collegiate education, yet it’s only now as graduation looms that I catch a glimpse of where I want to go.
Is that right?
Idealistically, the “Big Revelation” should’ve happened when I was a freshman. In need of a clear head and eager to pursue classes suited to my needs.
Too late, time’s up, trod on.
As freshmen, my peers and I had a “welcome to college” class requirement. One assignment asked for a self-description of our lives in X-years. Even though I didn’t have specifics, there were vague ideas that had developed over the years. College was my ticket to the world, the step between branch and sky. A home, a job, and hopefully a family. Realistic enough, I suppose. Except four years later, I sit in a fog denser than I ever imagined.
What happened to my childhood certainty of being a veterinarian? Doing something I loved by working with animals. (okay: that dream left when I realised I’m too emotionally sensitive for such a field)
In Disney’s The Kid, Bruce Willis’s character holds a conversation with Jean Smart’s about childhood dreams. They talk about how people grow up and dreams evolve into a more realistic sense of what must get done in order to make a living. The astronaut, the prima ballerina–they get stuffed in a closet to collect dust and be forgotten. But why should dreams suffer for the sake of an income?
Chase it! Make it work!
That’s how you evaluate success. Fight for what matters, and enjoy the journey. It’ll be rough–depressing at times. But it beats falling into a routine and rotting with dissatisfaction.
Before college, I was full of certainty. Now I don’t even know where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what’s in store for my future, but I’m open to whatever comes my way. Ideas stampede toward me, and I continue writing.
Always writing.
Evolution Of A Niche
Being somewhat new to the concept of blogs, I’ve spent time researching the benefits they bring to writers. Results concur that successful blog management is difficult and time-consuming, but the potential it donates to a writer’s career may be worth the effort.
So hi!
My biggest concern is choosing a focus–a niche with enough influence to fuel motivation. True to the writing process, the most important thing is to get start. Let things flow; the niche will evolve with time.
Still, I struggle with how best to start, bogged down by the stress of everything going on right now.
That’s when it hit me: I’m a 20+ want-to-be-published writer who is graduating university in approximately two months. Years of loan debts await repayment. I join the ranks of homeless graduates seeking any and every way to save money. My focus is writing, but my responsibility is winning a job. In this economy, that spells stress-overdose.
The unknown fills me with anxiety. The world holds many opportunities, however, and I’m going to do what I can to handle the stress in a positive way. After all, freedom from the classroom = freedom to fill the days with writing. Résumés, cover letters, general fiction. At least writing removes some stress from my life.
