Your Life Calling is the name of Jane Pauley’s monthly show produced by AARP. Before you start thinking, that’s for old people. It’s not! Although it profiles people over 50 who have made dramatic career changes, the lessons we can draw from them are relevant regardless of age. You’ve no doubt heard, “follow your bliss”. Perhaps you have done that and are now struggling to make a living doing it.
Doesn’t seem quite fair does it?
On the show, Jane said, “I’ve just discovered that I love sculpture, but no one will EVER buy a piece of my work. How do I tell the difference between work and a hobby like sculpture?”
A hobby is something you love, but your level of expertise or mastery is not such to create an economic demand. So enjoy.
However a hobby may point the way to work you love. Jane discovered she enjoys the following about sculpture:
- Creative collaboration (she works with a group)
- A project with a beginning and a point of completion
- A tangible product or result
- A variety of products
Consider one of YOUR hobbies.
How are you are engaged with it?
Are there other enjoyable situations in your life that have characteristics in common?
When you consider your current work, which of these qualities are present?
What opportunities do you have for including them?
EXPERIMENT.
Do people ever turn their hobbies into careers? Absolutely. And sometimes a hobby is just a hobby and that’s OK too.
Look for more interesting ideas from Jane Pauley and Your Life Calling…regardless of your age, it’s valuable.
How do I do I know? I was a guest commentator on her show and the high-energy young woman in the studio said, “Wow, this is so spot on for me.”
To find out more about Jane’s show, please visit http://www.aarp.org/tv-radio/your_life_calling/