Forget About Passion, Be Passionate

Summary

The author of the article refuses to define writing as her passion due to the societal pressure to monetize and maintain a lifelong commitment to one's passion, instead embracing the fluidity of interests and the intrinsic value of writing in her life.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's discomfort with labeling writing as her singular passion during a job interview, as she believes that passions are not static and should not be commercialized. She values writing for its ability to help her think clearly and connect with others, but she resists the idea that one's passion must be a source of income and a lifelong pursuit. The author argues that the pressure to succeed in one's passion can lead to a loss of love for the activity and suggests that passions can evolve over time. She emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey rather than fixating on the destination and prefers to see herself as a passionate storyteller who writes for personal fulfillment rather than as someone with a passion for writing that must be financially successful.

Opinions

The author feels that stating writing is her passion puts undue pressure on her to succeed and make money from it.
She believes that passions are feelings that can change over time, and one should not be forced to maintain the same passion throughout life.
The author is critical of the societal expectation that one's passion must be turned into a business.
She enjoys the process of writing and the connection it allows her to have with others, rather than the potential for financial gain.
The author is concerned that the commercialization of passion can lead to a constant state of hustle and stress.
She acknowledges that people change, and so might their passions, which should be accepted rather than resisted.
The author values the ability to express herself and tell stories without the constraint of having to monetize her writing.
She prefers to write authentically and without pressure, allowing her to fully explore her thoughts and emotions through her work.

Why I refuse to answer the question of what my passion is

In the middle of a recent job interview via Zoom, I was asked about my passion. Sure, you can prepare for this question ahead of time, but when I said, “Writing is my passion,” it sounded forced. It felt wrong.

Not that I haven’t been writing all my life (with the vast majority never being published), but to officially state that writing is my passion, I think, feels forced. I mean, if writing is my greatest passion, isn’t it creating pressure to succeed? We live in a world where everything has to become a business and make money. What if, at some point, I no longer feel like writing because the pressure has gotten to me?

Passion is a feeling, and feelings change.

Commercialization of our passions

What drew me to writing was that it helped me structure my thoughts — it helps me think clearly. I love to work on my writing skills because mastering a language gives me a sense of power — it’s the gate into society, to human interaction. Language is what connects people, and trying to understand others’ situations by sharing my personal story to relate excites me.

But there lies the difference: I am passionate about telling stories, reading other people’s stories, and connecting with people. I love to write and make people smile; I want to help. But today, having a passion always implies you have to make money off it and stick to it all of your life. To me, this sounds more like having to hustle constantly, looking for new clients every second you get, chasing the next milestone — because you have to make it, it’s your passion. And, you’re forced to fake it before you make it.

Constantly chasing milestones doesn’t cut it for me. It’s not that I don’t like to work hard. It’s just that I don’t want to be stressed out all the time. Or even worse, what if your passion is no longer your passion because you have changed? Will you start hating yourself because you followed your passion, and after years chasing this passion of yours, you wake up only to find yourself in a loveless marriage?

Are you feeling passionate yet?

I am an ambitious woman, I have my goals, and I will hopefully eventually achieve them. But I have stopped saying “no matter what.” Because it does matter how we get to where we want to go, and that journey is not a sprint. It’s probably more like a steeplechase (with the occasional landing in the water ditch).

Just like waves, boyfriends, and jobs, feelings come and go. Passions, views, and outlooks on life change are not necessarily bad things or wrong. It’s just how it is. Me being a passionate storyteller and networker won’t change. I love to get to know new people, learn from them and learn about other life perspectives.

I don’t want to lose the ability to translate compassion and love for others into written words.

See, writing and I, that’s solid. It’s a relationship that I want to safeguard from any pressure. I want to write ridiculous posts, even outrageous ones at times; I want to scream, laugh, cry, and giggle while writing . In all honesty, I can’t keep writing resolutions, and I won’t pressure myself to try to. And therein lies the crux of the matter: I have an understanding of how I work, feel, and live in this world and cherish my writing skills, enabling me to translate my inner turmoil into stories — I don’t want to put a price tag on that.

Writing helps me think, feel, and react. It makes me who I am and how I see the world around me. It’s the most valuable tool I have to makes sense of a world that does not favor me — a young, black woman. I’d rather be a passionate storyteller that fails rather than someone that has a passion for writing. By the time I find myself yet again in another water ditch of a steeplechase, I have a pen and paper ready for comfort.