No one sits around, as a kid, and daydreams about how they want to have a really boring job that they find deeply unfulfilling, but that pays the bills. All the same, that is pretty much the situation that a large proportion of the population apparently finds itself in at any given time.
Life should be a daring and exciting adventure, and part of what that implies is that we should do things with our professional lives that we actually find fulfilling and meaningful. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but if you are not living your passion today, are you at least taking steps to move towards it?
If you’re a creative person – that is, if you’re a writer, artist, photographer, or inventor at heart – working towards making a living from your creative passion can truly cause your soul to soar, while failing to take action can make your life pretty unbearable.
Here are some tips on how to make a living from your creative passion.
Start taking small “gigs” as and where you can get them, and work your way up
Great musicians don’t just release their first demo tape and then find themselves on a world tour the next week, selling out arenas wherever they go.
Instead, they work their way up, and begin taking small “gigs” as and when they can get them. Alive Network’s wedding bands in Surrey, for example, likely all started out practicing in their bedrooms and basements, and some may go on to become acclaimed rock stars in the future.
On the road to making a living from your creative passion, you’ve got to start small, and work your way up. So, look for any opportunities you can find to begin making some money doing what you love doing.
Turn up each day, consistently and patiently – take pleasure in the work itself
A quote attributed to Jack London, the famous author, goes “you can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with the club.”
A major part of the secret of great and successful creative people down the ages, is that they turn up each day and do their work consistently and patiently, even if there’s no immediate benefit to be seen. Instead of waiting for the “muse” they take action. And instead of impatiently yearning for immediate results, they learn to take pleasure in the work itself.
It’s certainly possible to make a living from your creative passion. But success may well take a while to arrive. In the meantime, you need to get working, and keep working consistently.
Consider unconventional ways of monetizing your passion – your imagination is the only limit
With the rise of the Internet and modern digital technologies, in particular, there are all sorts of ways of monetizing a creative pastime that did not necessarily exist even just a few years ago.
For example, many authors now make their living by self-publishing on Amazon and related platforms, instead of hoping for the gatekeepers of traditional publishing to smile upon them.
Likewise, many people who create small trinkets through hobby crafts will now sell them on Etsy and similar websites.
Consider unconventional ways of monetizing your passion. Your imagination is effectively the only limit here.