4 ms·

I had a version of this realization early in my life. I wanted to be a musician. I thought that school and other things in life were a burden and that once I wa

I had a version of this realization early in my life. I wanted to be a musician. I thought that school and other things in life were a burden and that once I was devoted to music, I'd be happy and full. I got my dream by 18 years old. When music became my work I hated it. Made me think differently about life.

JKCalhoun 5y ago
Everything that becomes work you will hate. I think when it is no longer your job you might begin to enjoy it again? My career turned out to be software engineering because I liked writing software as a hobby. The job does take the software-writing energy out of me. But from time to time when I have started a little project of my own I have found it to be enjoyable again.
UnpossibleJim 5y ago
I had a similar situation. I worked hard and went back to school and became a professional artist. I was paid decently, but ended up never drawing or painting for myself. I hated it. It took me close to a decade to start liking the process of creating visual arts again, and even then it was tentative. I read something not all that long ago that I wished I had read when I was much younger. "Make something you like your career and keep your passions for yourself, if you are able." Obviously, this doesn't work for everyone. Some people have that all consuming thing where the process of selling your passion doesn't kill the love for it, but it didn't mesh for me =/
- gfiorav 5y ago
  I took me 10 years to buy an MPC again. And I barely touch it. The scars are real. A couple good things though: - I can finally listen to music without overanalyzing it. Which is to say I can now enjoy music. - I find a lot of ways to use creativity in my job, and has given me an edge thus far (or so I think).
  - UnpossibleJim 5y ago
    I do think the fast ideation strategies I learned in art school definitely help me in software development, as well as not becoming overly attached to my children and accepting criticism. There are, for sure, many wonderful lessons to be learned in creative classes that cross over. I haven't been to a "Code Camp", but I have to imagine that this form of purely technical training (on its own) would have its down sides (though, I only have a liberal arts education as well, who stumbled into a technical field because of my hobbies).
snarf21 5y ago
There is a big difference between have to and get to. Most people are better served with a strict work/life balance that pays the maximum they can find and get all their fulfillment from their hobbies/dreams/etc. Work becomes a punch the clock and your passions stay alive without the pressure.
101008 5y ago
As soon as something becomes work, there is a contract (expicit or implicit) that comes with rules and conditions. After a while, any activity under contraints, rules and conditions imposed by others stop being fun, unless you are very powerful / famous / popular and you can put the rules / conditions (and even in that case, sometimes it is not possible).

JKCalhoun 5y ago

Everything that becomes work you will hate. I think when it is no longer your job you might begin to enjoy it again? My career turned out to be software engineering because I liked writing software as a hobby. The job does take the software-writing energy out of me. But from time to time when I have started a little project of my own I have found it to be enjoyable again.

UnpossibleJim 5y ago

I had a similar situation. I worked hard and went back to school and became a professional artist. I was paid decently, but ended up never drawing or painting for myself. I hated it. It took me close to a decade to start liking the process of creating visual arts again, and even then it was tentative. I read something not all that long ago that I wished I had read when I was much younger. "Make something you like your career and keep your passions for yourself, if you are able." Obviously, this doesn't work for everyone. Some people have that all consuming thing where the process of selling your passion doesn't kill the love for it, but it didn't mesh for me =/

gfiorav 5y ago
I took me 10 years to buy an MPC again. And I barely touch it. The scars are real. A couple good things though: - I can finally listen to music without overanalyzing it. Which is to say I can now enjoy music. - I find a lot of ways to use creativity in my job, and has given me an edge thus far (or so I think).
- UnpossibleJim 5y ago
  I do think the fast ideation strategies I learned in art school definitely help me in software development, as well as not becoming overly attached to my children and accepting criticism. There are, for sure, many wonderful lessons to be learned in creative classes that cross over. I haven't been to a "Code Camp", but I have to imagine that this form of purely technical training (on its own) would have its down sides (though, I only have a liberal arts education as well, who stumbled into a technical field because of my hobbies).

snarf21 5y ago

There is a big difference between have to and get to. Most people are better served with a strict work/life balance that pays the maximum they can find and get all their fulfillment from their hobbies/dreams/etc. Work becomes a punch the clock and your passions stay alive without the pressure.

101008 5y ago

As soon as something becomes work, there is a contract (expicit or implicit) that comes with rules and conditions. After a while, any activity under contraints, rules and conditions imposed by others stop being fun, unless you are very powerful / famous / popular and you can put the rules / conditions (and even in that case, sometimes it is not possible).