[Update: 09/22/2022 ... 7 years later!] ... Apparently Mark Cuban agrees!
[Screenshot from the inbox this morning ... Thanks, Phil!]
[Originally published 12/09/2015] We've all heard the mantra: Find your bliss ... the missive that commands you to find your passion, chase it down (and -- generally -- find a way to make it your job).
In a lot of ways, this is a bad idea, and I've recently been counseling my students to, perhaps, fund their bliss instead. Find a job you like and that you're good at. It should be one that pays you enough in one way or another so that you can afford to chase down your passions after the 9-5 job. This has a few benefits:
• If your job goes south / I used to work at a studio where the social circles were tight. People hung out almost exclusively with other co-workers and a lot of time was spent at the office. Sure, this makes the job more fun, and there's a deeper connection to it all, but there's a risk. Often business realities or what-not might cause that job — or relationship — to go sideways, then where are you? When you have all of your proverbial eggs in one basket, and that basket gets upset, you're left holding... nothing. That's not a good place to be. Follow your financial advisor's advice: Diversify.
• Fewer compromises / In the 9-5 world, we often make compromises to make progress. Not everyone agrees on the same things, and there's always a good bit of give-and-take. If that thing that you do is your ultimate passion, making compromises might be slightly more difficult for you. Do you want to put that on the line?
• You're cooler when / If you have passions outside of the office, you become more interesting in the office. You're the one who has painting studio presence (and a dedicated following). You're the couple who runs a letterpress studio on the weekend. You're the guy in a cool band. You're the one who wrote a book. You're the gal with a growing Etsy shop.
• Stressing about rent sucks / Sadly, the jobs that involve bliss also generally don't pay terribly well — and the Bay Area is an expensive place to be. Stressing about money or dental insurance (or student loans) can take a lot out of you, so save yourself a few gray hairs and consider the "fund your bliss" philosophy.
Making money isn't inherently evil. Somehow creative people have too often conditioned themselves to accept the reality that they'll always be the poor underdog. Bollocks. Other folks are recognizing the flaws in this bankrupt meme, and hopefully, the idea is getting traction. My favorite is from Mike.
Remember, though, that compensation can come in many ways: money, for sure, but also flexibility, time-off, location, type of work, etc. Perhaps that job might not pay as well, but if it's 5 minutes from your house (vs. a 2-hour commute), it might mean spending more time with friends and family (vs. agro train riders). In the end, we want you to be happy. Even more than success, fame, or even "good"... happiness trumps all, and there are a few ways to achieve that balance. Consider all angles.
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