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balance, career, creativity workshop, eat pray love, elizabeth gilbert, hobbies, jobs, meditation, photography, vocation
In keeping with the spirit of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Creativity Workshop, here is my response to prompt #2 of my creativity notebook. See prompt #1 here.
Hobbies, Jobs, Career, & Vocation
Creativity Notebook Prompt #2
Elizabeth Gilbert advises us to distinguish between our hobbies, jobs, career, and vocation. To help you sort through these elements in your own life, take a few minutes to complete the exercise below on a new page in your creativity notebook.
What activities do you participate in on a daily basis? Try to itemize what you do on both the typical week day and the typical weekend day. What are all the activities that you wish you could do more of that might not be included on your list?
On the typical weekday, I work a 7.5 hour day at my job (sometimes overtime), take my daughter to her activities, including cheerleading, swim lessons, library events, etc., and then go home to get her fed and in bed, relax or clean the house, and then sleep. Now that I have started a direct sales job, I am also trying to find time to post on Facebook to encourage sales, run online parties, and promote my business.
On the typical weekend, I sleep in as long as my daughter will allow, and we relax around the house. Some weekends, we have events to go to, such as walk/runs, library events, or other kids events around town, and I usually have a meeting with my book club. The weekends are generally dedicated to cleaning the house, taking care of shopping or other errands, and relaxing.
I am having trouble finding time for my direct sales, so I definitely want to find more time for that. I also want to find more time to be out on my own, taking pictures or writing at a scenic place. Right now, I take time away from “mom life” to go to book club, and I feel bad leaving my daughter, but I also know that I need to focus on me time as well. I would love to have an opportunity to volunteer also.
Hobbies: Photography, Book Club, Meditating/Exercising
Jobs: State Job, KEEP Direct Sales
Career: KEEP Direct Sales
Vocation: Photography, Counseling
Is it feasible for you to move any of your hobbies towards the career category? What will that take? What risks and rewards will be involved?
Photography, perhaps, but that would be require investment in a nice camera and some sort of technical class on photography to learn tips and techniques. Also, a time commitment to take pictures of others is required and my schedule should be pretty open.
If it is necessary to keep your day job, are there ways that you could carve out adequate time to pursue your creative hobbies on the side?
This is a huge struggle for me. What little time I do have is spent recouping from my on the go lifestyle. Especially with my chronic pain, I am constantly struggling to keep up and I generally crash or nap when I have down time. Taking better care of myself will hopefully free up more time, and I need to take better advantage of weekends that are more open.
What is your vocation? What do you need to keep making time for in your life even if no one will ever pay you for it or you will never earn wide acclaim or recognition?
Writing and photography. Counseling (volunteering) if possible.