Talk about the passion
Everyone has things in their lives they are passionate about. Most people only dabble in them because, let’s face it, with our families and our jobs, its tough to find time to focus on a third activity. I have many things I’m passionate about and rarely do I find the time to dial in and focus on them.
I’m writing this because I’ve often admired two people’s ability to do just that, focus on their passion and make sure they find time for it. This isn’t meant to be a “go out and be inspired by what I have written in this blog” type of blog. I don’t do that kinda thing. No, this is merely something I’ve thought about for a while and wanted to get it out there.
The first is @gumboshowjoe, who runs an Internet radio show called The Gumbo Show with Joe (every Tuesday from 7 – 9pm EST). The show features rock, funk, New Orleans R & B, acoustic, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, 80’s, and occasionally other musical genres.
How he finds time to produce this show with his work commitments (he kills it for @engauge) and his family commitments (he has twin babies!) is amazing. You should check it out.
The second person I’m amazed with is @atlantajones. Guy has mad drawing/cartooning skills. He works on the DIG team which means he works like a madman, and he has a baby girl at home that keeps him busy during most of his non-DIG time. Here’s a taste of one of his recent sketches.
Both of these guys impress the heck out of me with the quality and level of these (mostly) non-revenue generating passions. Keep it up guys.
PS (if a blog can have a PS) – this blog is named after one of my favorite REM songs, Talk about the Passion.
Thanks so much, Jeff for the props! But you know what’s funny? I feel like the biggest slacker in the world. Maybe it’s because I have so many things I want to accomplish, and I’m pushing 40 now. So many things yet to do. I think I’m just too close to the issue :)
Hey! I get no love for my photography, Jeff? lol
Passion, eh? Actually, this post from you really raised my brows. I just feel that I must point out that what you’ve written about how you admire a few exceptional people for having found a great passion and invested themselves in it to such a great degree…. well, do you realize how much this describes YOU to a “t”. Maybe you lack the outside perspective – a fish doesn’t know it’s swimming in water sort of thing. What you describe with such admiration and even maybe envy, is exactly how so many people view you as well, Jeff. I’m one of them and trust me, having worked with and known you for some time, I can tell you that so many people view you with the same such admiration for your passion as you have just expressed in your blog.
What passion? Perhaps you have not placed yourself in same category as Joe or Andrew, because you don’t count your work as a qualifying passion. And why not? You don’t get to choose what you are truly passionate about. It chooses you. If you are lucky, the passion lures you into a wonderful obsession that makes trivial barriers such as “finding time” or “working” at it become almost non-existant. It’s all passion, all consuming, all rewarding, mind stimulating fun and nourishment for the heart and soul. If you are REALLY LUCKY, that passion is also your work… the stuff you love to do that also happens to provide a living for you. But therein lies the inherent danger. I think when you are passionate about your work, the label of ‘work’ may tend to make you discount it… causing you to become potentially defocused. You might fool yourself into thinking you are missing something. Recognize this situation? Yup. Been there, done that. ;)
Older and wiser now. I love the interactive space and I’m so thrilled to be working in it. But hey… I’m even luckier than that: ’cause I feel the same way about another passion of mine: http://www.TonyKinard.com. So how do I find the time? Never seems to be the question. It’s more like: “I can’t wait to spend the time – every available second doing the stuff I know I love.”
Now if I can just keep getting paid for it… all is good.
~ Tony
@TonyKinard
Thanks and nice REM reference!
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