What is your passion?

passion – a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept

My husband’s passion is music. It’s why he’s a musician. It’s why every time he gets fed up with the industry for awhile he doesn’t give up in the end. Its too much a part of who he is to ever give it up in frustration. It’s also why I won’t let him give it up. I’ll do anything I can to make sure he stays in and with the music.

Similarly, my dad is a bookkeeper and tax preparer. He’s notorious for counting things. When I was in band, he’d count how many people were in other bands. Or he’ll figure how many people can fit in a venue. Dad’s all about numbers, and he’s made a living working with them.

For me? I always find myself coming back to writing/photography/design work. Primarily writing.

When I look back on life, a recurring theme is writing. Already in third grade I was competing in writing competitions. Every time I had a new electives option, I’d go for the writing elective. In college, I majored in Journalism, and one of my favorite classes I ever took was a creative writing course.

I’ve had a private journal since 2001, and I worked for a year and a half at a newspaper. Now I have this blog and I’m more and more determined to nurture it and let it be a creative outlet.

At the end of the day, I know its what I want to make my living doing. Writing. It’s MY passion.

I thoroughly enjoy design in addition to it, and I’ve found a fascination with photography. I’ve never nurtured photography until I did my 365 Project, and that project sparked an interest that I want to explore further. Photography in addition to my writing just seems to make sense. One of these days I’ll upgrade from a point and shoot to advance myself in that medium.

Anyway, all this being said, I’m finding we all have our own passions in life. The talents we are given to use. Unfortunately, life and the economy often don’t care about passion. All they care about is the almighty dollar. Many times I’ve considered throwing in the towel on my writing dreams. It seems like this impossible mountain to climb — making a life at it.

But then I look at my husband, who has successfully made music his career. I look at so many others who have a talent and a dream, and they work to make it happen. I can do it, too.

I enjoy other jobs. I find joy simply in doing work. There’s satisfaction in a job well done, whatever that job may be. But at the end of the day, its writing that I love to do. And its writing that will remain my focus.

So I ask, what’s your passion? Are you living it? Or has it gotten lost in a maze of bills and bureaucracy?