Passions

This post is part my own self-realizations and part advice for you, so you might find it interesting. If not, well, I just need to write this for myself...

Do I Know What's Really Important to Me?

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do in my life. (Notice how I didn't phrase it "What do I want to do for the rest of my life"? Eek- I hate when people ask that question. It's impossible to answer!) I've always been a creative person, working on some sort of project at any given time. So, when I talk about what I want to do in my life, I'm referring to my creative loves; video/filmmaking, cakes/baking, graphic/web design, etc.

I was thinking about current projects I have going on, future plans for them, and new projects I want to start. I quickly came to the realization that one project I have going, that I claim to be important to me, has been almost completely neglected by me. I think about it quite a bit, but I haven't actually done anything for it lately to move it forward, keep it going, or promote it.

I might as well say it; I'm talking about my cake "business", Skullcakes.

I say I love it. I have lots of ideas for it, yet I've had no motivation to make any cakes! This made me realize that I need to re-evaluate my priorities when it comes to my creative projects and what's really important to me.

Realizing My Passions...

I can say with certainty that I loved working on the website for Skullcakes. It consumed my free time for about a week. I genuinely loved putting in the work to make it look awesome and I'm so proud of it.

My best friend, Addie, has recently started her own business, Nature Mama. She asked me for help with her logo and website, etc. I believe this is what would be a big sign pointing out what I'm good at and what I like to do. If your friends come to you for help with something, that something must be what you're good at and they know you'd like to help with. I started brainstorming ideas for her business, with my other friend, Kelsey, who drew her logo. We quickly came to the conclusion that we were marketing geniuses and appointed ourselves Addie's branding and marketing team. (Another big sign that this is what I love to do.)

And, so, these realizations led me to face up to something I've really known for years; I often enjoy the imaging/branding/marketing of a project/idea more than actually having to do that project.

I've always loved creating an image and brand for my own projects. But, now that I've realized maybe those projects aren't so important to me, I can try to find other ways to put those skills & passion to use, like helping Addie with her business.

The first step is figuring out what you love doing. The next step is figuring out how to use those skills & passion for something practical (and, if possible, how to use them to earn money).

What You Want vs. What You Think You Want...

Sometimes not wanting to work hard at something isn't just laziness. It's just not what you want to do. For me, realizing that it's not my laziness stopping me from working on a project, but my lack of passion, has freed up a lot of guilt and creative depression I've had over projects. If you find yourself uninspired and unmotivated to work on something you think you want, it's time to take a step back a re-evaluate what it is you really want and love.

A lot like cleaning out and organizing your home/workspace, I think we need to do some life cleaning once in a while. Just like all that useless stuff you hang onto in your closet, it's time to let go of what you don't need, want or love, so you have more room for the things you really love and want to work on.

I guess the conclusion of all this realization is that I may be letting go of my cake business. (I'm not letting go of the Skullcakes name & logo, though. I'll use it for something, someday.) I still enjoy baking occasionally, and would be willing to make a cake for anyone. I'm still considering making "The Bakestress" instructional videos. But, I think it's time to stop fooling myself and let go of things that I'm not giving my full attention.