Having a passion - Voltra Online

Count Trashula

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Being stuck with retail as my only career prospect has, as you can probably guess, made me pretty miserable. Everyone is all "Oh, just go to school and get a better job!" without stopping to consider that 1, I may not have the time or energy to juggle school with full-time work; 2, I sure as heck don't make that kind of money; and 3, I have no idea what I'd go to school for in the first place. And nobody has any answers for that last one, not even people who've known me for decades. If I'm gonna go through the trouble of trying to make time for school, it better be for something I can not only reasonably make a living off of, but actually enjoy doing--or at least not hate. Otherwise, I feel like I'd be better off making less but being at least somewhat comfortable in my work. Don't get me wrong, I hate working in the grocery store, but at least I know how to do it and have the experience to maintain some degree of job security with it, and I can think of several things I'd hate a whole lot more. That doesn't mean I wouldn't love to be doing something different, but how am I supposed to know what that is?

Feels like everybody has their "one thing" that they love, that they dedicate all their talent and free time to, that they either are pursuing as a career or would if given the chance. Everybody seems to have a passion, but I don't.
I know I like creative pursuits, but aside from drawing and writing, it's not like I've had the opportunity to try my hand at much to see what I enjoy or to develop any sort of talent. I'm only OK at drawing despite doing it all my life, and writing takes so much time and concentration I can't even keep up with an online roleplay, much less find something marketable to write and build up a portfolio. I like working with my hands, but "craft artist" isn't a realistic, sustainable standalone career for most people--especially people like me--to consider. And most hobbies seem to require an awful lot of time and money...

I like being outdoors, animals, stuff like that. But jobs involving these things all seem pretty unappealing to me for one reason or another. Like, sure I enjoy animals, but being a veterinarian sounds like a nightmare. I also like food, baking, cake decorating. And for a long time I considered going to school for it, but it never worked out and I lost the interest and motivation after a while. I was never that great at it anyway.

IDK. I just feel like I like a lot of things, but don't love any one thing enough to dedicate my life to it and basically forfeit any hope of doing something else. If I pick a career path, I feel like I'll be stuck with it. Because again, time and money are things I do not have to spare. I also don't wanna bet on having a long enough life to just "try something else later". Especially since everything that's not retail or fast food, basically, requires thousands of dollars and years of schooling to even start.

Things would be so much simpler if I just had a passion I could follow. I hate feeling like I'm spread thinly over all these areas of interest with no realistic means of doing anything worthwhile with them. And I am tired of settling for something I hate just because it has to be "something".

How do you find (or follow) your passion? How do you even know what it is or if you have one?

ALWAYS PING ME

Ruby

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@Count Trashula: first off, sorry, I just LOVE your avatar! Okay got that out of the way.
I don’t really have any strong advice I don’t think, as I’m on disability and haven’t worked a normal job before. But maybe something like Skillshare so you can see if anything sparks your interest? And then maybe you can learn a new trade that way?? Idk how prosperous that would be but it might help with finding a passion??
Another thing I thought of, you said you like animals and outdoors things, maybe look for work on a ranch or something like that? An outdoor camp or wildlife rehab or something? (Although camps probably aren’t going as strong with the pandemic) idk something like that? There are lots of things that work with animals that don’t mean being a veterinarian ^^
Idk those were just some thoughts I had, idk how useful any of it is but I hope someday you’re able to find what you’re looking for that is fulling <3
I know what its like to feel like everyone else knows what they wanna do and is good at it and can afford to do so, both with money and energy. Good luck out there~

GoblinsAndTea

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(˵◕ ᴥ ◕˵)ﾉ Hello there

Ive wen trough quite some things before i setled on something.

First i wanted something with movies, i loved making little stop motion videos but i just lost intrests
Fashion designer seemed fun but again i just lost intrest

Then i wanted to be a dog groomer since dogs are my favorite animals. I still to this day think that would be such a cool job to have and the only reasen i didnt pursue with that was bc 1 id had to go to a farming school, wich meant also dealing with plants and posibly coming into contact with insects wich im scared of. And 2 my whole family and all my teachers convinced me to do something with art.

Now ive always made art, mostly drawing but also just little projects, i collect dolls so i sew clothes for them and i make furniture ect. Being creative is also big in the family, i had 2 great uncles who where artists (one died just last year sadly) and before the pandemic they sold some of their stuff. My great aunt is a fashion designer and loves making quilted blankets.
So i thought "alright i gues, ill do something with art".

A couple of things i considerd:
Character design, Graphic design, Freelancer, illustrator, concept design, and more

I had 2 choices, do graphic design or get delayed a year to go to a "smarter" school to then be able to go to an actual art school. (in belgium theres difrent schools ASO is for like "smart" people who can study alot and will become lawyers, docters ect, then theres TSO wich is less study, then theres BSO wich is even less, where you mostly learn for a job, like a baker, technician, nurse ect).
So i had the capacity to go to the smart school, but 1 i simply couldnt be botherd to do my homework and 2 i had undiagnosed autism and adhd so i choose the later option.

So for awhile i thought i was gonna be a graphic designer. Ive also had photography in school and a little bit of illustration. I went trough some depressing episodes, i had teachers i couldnt stand to listen to and everythig changed.
I used to draw everyday for fun, everyday on every surface. I used to absolutly love it. And i gues when it became a task, where i wasent allowed to draw what i wanted it kinda took the fun out of it.
Slowly i started to draw less bc i asociated it with school.
I also simply didnt wanna be a graphic designer. Theres so many little rules, and if you dont do one thing sudenly your piece looks like you whiped your ass with it.

I now have finished school, if i wanted to i can search for a job as a graphic designer (but all the ones i aply to you have to have some kind of experience with hhhh) so i just... im kinda done with it

Now that i can draw for myself again and use my imagination ive been enjoying making art again, i cant bring myslef to draw each day tho lol. But i have atleast 1 finished piece each month.

Now something i became intrested in some years ago, tattooing. Ive always liked body mods, i have a couple of piercings and i hope after im vaccinated i can get my first tattoo.
But i started liking the idea of tattooing myself. It was sugested to me by a couple of teachers but i wasent sure then what i wanted to do.
And now i do think i know, i think i want to be a tattoo artist.
It seems ideal to me, i get to meet a variety of people, i get to put my art on them forever, wich would give me validation in my work. I wouldnt have to dress difrently or hide my body mods ect.

Theres a couple of things holding me back atm
I first want to get my chest surgery, i want to compleatly erase my past and start new. But in order to do that i need a job for atleast 6 months, posibly more. Not for the money but for health care, i need to change it bc my current one dosnt pay back anything for a chast surgery wich would end up costing alot. If i can get a new healthcare it would cost 80% less.
Now im having trouble finding a job due to both mental and physical health, ill posibly need an operation at my foot.
And lastly the obvious, the pandemic. Even if everything wasenst a problem, no tattoo shop is open rn and the ones that are open are being extra careful so i doubt theyl take a new interns rn.

I know you dont want to spend alot of money, but if your intrested in art the best thing you can do is practice.
Youtube has alot of great tutorials and i think the most importand things to learn are proportion and lighting, when you understand those then you can play with them more easely.

In belgium when your an adult out of school but still want to become something you didnt study for you can go to an evening school or adult school. Those arent 8 hours each day. and some of them you dont even have to pay, ofc idk what its like where you are.
Perhaps you could also do some job tests? To see what best fits you?

。.:☆*:･ヽ(˵◕ ᴥ ◕˵)

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Kairu

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Count Trashula:
How do you find (or follow) your passion? How do you even know what it is or if you have one?

I'm sure that you and I both know that having a passion also means you work on it. You may have tried doing it on step one or just in thinking phase. but never went out of those stages either. So, I understand what you mean by you don't think you have any passions.

Passion isn't something that comes out because you have thought of it. You do action, work on it. do them, let yourself experience (both) success and fail. Only the do that you will know if you are passionate to it or not.

this article from Oprah can tell ya better than me: Secret to finding your passion

I hope this helps on your end!

月の兎

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Count Trashula

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