I Don't Make Money Doing What I Love

Do what you love.  This is the mantra of our day and age, and it is particularly loved by my generation.  It's almost like it's our sacred duty to that which we love.  And why not?  Who wouldn't want to do what brings them joy and fulfillment?

But the mantra doesn't stop there.  We aren't just to do what we love, we are to make money doing it.  It is to be our career, our vocation, our way of making a livelihood.  And again, there isn't anything inherently wrong with that.  I know many people who are able to make money doing what they love, and I am so happy for them!

I get to do a lot of things that I love.  Today I'm particularly thinking about writing on this blog, making videos for my YouTube channel, and making arts and crafts.  These are all things that could make me money.  But I don't make money.  On purpose.  I've thought about it, that's for sure.  As a stay-at-home mom, my husband is the one who primarily works, but the subconscious pressure I put on myself to find a way to contribute is very real.

But whenever I consider using what I love as a way of making money, I find a hesitation in my heart that forbids me.

For example, think about this blog and my YouTube channel.  Those are both ways that people can make money.  It's certainly not easy money, and I'm still too small to make much, but I could make some, if I wanted to.  But how I would make that money is through allowing advertising on my blog posts and before my videos.

But I don't like advertising.  It's not just that it's annoying (which it is), but I would have no control over the content of the advertising, and I have serious problems with the vast majority of advertising that happens in our world.  Most advertising promotes discontent, consumerism, materialism, hedonism, unsustainable use of the earth's resources, and the objectification of both women and men.  How can I allow that on my work?  When people visit my blog or my channel I want them to hear from my heart, not be bombarded once again by the parts of our culture that try to drag us down.  I could be earning money, but money isn't the most important thing.

I also enjoy arts and crafts.  I've often had people say that I should sell the things that I make, and I've often thought about it.  But for some reason I don't really want to.  That doesn't mean I would be opposed to someone asking me to make them something and wanting to pay me for it.  But I don't want to make things with the sole purpose of earning money, to try to convince people that they need more handmade scarves and Christmas ornaments and baby toys.  I want to make things that are needed, not try to create a need for things that I make.

I don't say any of this to belittle those who do use advertising or those who make things to sell.  But I do want to encourage you to stop and think with me.  Our culture tries to tell us that money is everything, that we always need more.  But instead of grabbing at every chance to make a few more dollars, let's evaluate what is really most important to us.  What are we promoting?  What are our actions saying about what we value?

I don't make money doing what I love. 

Maybe someday I will, but right now that isn't what is most important.