How to Find the Work You Love
“The quest for work you love – it all begins with the two simple questions: Who am I? and What in the world am I doing here?”
- Laurence G. Boldt in How to Find the Work You Love
Ah, yes – the “simple” questions. Right up there with “Want fries with that?” – “What is my purpose on this earth?”
Who are you? Want fries with that?
I don’t know my purpose just yet, but I figure the best way to find it is by living mindfully. For me, that means striving to align my external existence with my inner one. Whenever I feel like something in my external life is hollow – that I’m just going through the motions with it – I know it’s time to make a change, large or small.
Lately, I’ve been feeling this way with my professional life. I care about the work I’m doing, but it’s not why I was put on this earth. It doesn’t fulfill a purpose that’s unique to me.
I don’t know what I want to do instead – what I should be doing. I have glimmers, and impulses – but no answers. Not yet. I know I can’t rush the answers, but it’s hard – I get impatient.
One thing I find myself fantasizing about is a collaborative, creative space with other improvisers, video artists, writers, designers, musicians — all of our work fueling each other, hybrids forming, ideas bubbling… Plays, performance art, video projects, jam sessions, open mics, and who-knows-what else…of course, I have no idea how we could earn a living from this, or how I could. But it’s a recurring theme, as dreams of mine have gone: creating a space to spark creativity; a haven of sorts, and an incubator, all in one. Maybe there’s even a cafe…
Do you know of any spaces like this? If so, I’d love to hear about them. To be clear, I don’t just mean a co-working space, or shared studio space… I mean sharing space with the explicit purpose of cross-pollination between creative projects.
Let me know what you know!
And while you’re at it, tell me: ‘Want fries with that?
Love the idea. Lately I realize I miss PEOPLE. and something’s gotta give.
Hi Amanda! I don’t know of a place like this but I would love to join one :)
Thanks, Amanda. I have been looking for a way to describe the way I am feeling in my professional life. Well done and keep me posted.
Hi Amanda: I just discovered your blog today. For the past year or two (or five) I’ve been struggling with a similar angst – balancing a partially fulfilling career and the lifestyle/comforts it brings with a desire for a more creative life. I don’t have any answers for you but can offer camaraderie in the search.
I did recently take a course called How to Make a Living in the Arts, which I found helpful. I can send you more info if you’d like, but my point here was that I met creative people in the class but we found it difficult to come together as a group. I’ve always met interesting people through classes at the Writers Center as well.
Alix, thanks so much for your comment. I actually took the same workshop (How to Make a Living in the Arts) – with Laura Zam, right? I love her, and it was that experience that made me realize I wasn’t ready to settle in DC. A few months later, my husband and I were selling our house and moving to NY.
Laura talked about asking yourself, Are my actions planting the seeds of the garden I want to grow? I love that metaphor and find it very useful…
I continue to struggle w/ the issues I raised in this post. I think for a long time, I had fulfilling creative outlets in place that kept me from scrutinizing my day job as a freelance web consultant. Moving to NY shook those creative outlets up a bit, so now I’m in the process of building new ones, and at the same time, feeling like maybe I want to make my day job itself more aligned with my creative talents.
I’ve learned that often the best way to figure out these conundrums is through mindful experimentation – a balance between thinking/reflecting and doing. In other words, don’t get so stuck contemplating that you don’t just throw some noodles against the wall to see what sticks.
Anyway, I’m glad the post resonated for you and I wish you the best of luck in your journey!