Finding your life's purpose, and your real talent

Forums: Philosophy
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Hello everybody. Let's see if I can get some interesting input on this topic wich is hot in my life right now.

Finding your life purpose and especially the thing you have to do at the moment, isn't always obvious. I have always considered myself an "artist" in someway, and I put the word between quotes because it doesn't seem to help defining myself over a certain limit. Seeing me as "artist" just makes me pompous without actually making me an artist. That definition never helped me creating actual art. When I did, I did that naturally without thinking I was an artist in doing so.

First of all there are some things that interest me that have nothing to do with art, and I don't think I should stop doing them although the label "artist" occasionally suggested me so. Second, WICH art? Since I was a kid I've been interested in drawing, imagining videogames and movies, and storymaking through writing. As I grew up I took into sports, graphic design, 3D, interior design - I've been trying many things. Now, after a year spent in designing videogames and planning a big one, I find myself suddenly more interested in film making and writing, as well as 3D modelling.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how I will convert these interests in something that will help me sustain myself economically. I had ideas to make money with videogames, but I don't feel it as I used to. I feel more like starting over and changing objective completely - writing a book and a film. But this sounds to me amazingly impractical at the moment, and doesn't fit with the mental image of "videogame maker" I have developed in the last year. May I suggest that these mental images seem to be the problem here, what misleads and limits me.

I hope you get the point. I have several interests and my heart, after getting rid of the above mentioned mental images, is telling me to now change subject and area of study and make videogames rest for some time. It's basically telling me that the mental image of "artist" and "videogame maker" where wrong. Where not me. Or, at least, not the complete picture.

This struck me as it counters my business plans in some way, although I might still keep the videogames as source of revenew - but not as main interest. This is confusing to me, because I was looking for something that would be both my job and expression, I didn't think I would separate them. But oh well, maybe it's what I should do.

Writing, film making, making videogames, business, interior designs as hobby, 3D design as hobby and who knows in the future what and how it will serve me. Let alone the fact that I did of travelling an art, and I also cultivate the art of living, dressing, cooking, eating, breathing. I believe this model of action deprived of any models and mental images of what one should be and do, is...somewhat fantastic and expanding.

So it seems clear to me that I should simply accept my new inspirations and the fact that I might have to do something I didn't expect I would do. That I might have to change plans and give up old mental models. I am realizing this as I'm writing, some strange clarity is taking over - I didn't expect this to happen at all, to be honest. You're seeing mental clarity taking over fog in real-time. You're seeing what acceptance and giving up control and mental images do!

From this personal story, I would like to be more general and talk on how humans discover and realize their true destinies. Please, if you have ideas on that, also starting from my story (but let's not make it a psychiatric session, please), go on...

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 937 • Replies: 4

No top replies

@duckotaco,

Be pragmatic. I've got to do 26 weeks of general medicine a year, which is not the love of my life, to fund the time I spend practicing my subspecialty and doing research and writing.

Think about what skills and training you have first and foremost, because it's your skills that will get you the highest level, highest paid, most stable jobs. Then use your ideals to sift through the possibilities and opportunities.

If you feel like your greatest passions are being wasted because you've got a job that doesn't call upon them, then pursue your passions on the side -- on your free time. That will give you time to develop a portfolio or perhaps even develop a business.

1 Reply

@Aedes,

Focus on your craft. You can balance what you love and what "has" to be done all you want. But heres an idea, never assume anything.

0 Replies

@duckotaco,

duckotaco wrote:

Hello everybody. Let's see if I can get some interesting input on this topic wich is hot in my life right now.

Finding your life purpose and especially the thing you have to do at the moment, isn't always obvious. I have always considered myself an "artist" in someway, and I put the word between quotes because it doesn't seem to help defining myself over a certain limit. Seeing me as "artist" just makes me pompous without actually making me an artist. That definition never helped me creating actual art. When I did, I did that naturally without thinking I was an artist in doing so.

First of all there are some things that interest me that have nothing to do with art, and I don't think I should stop doing them although the label "artist" occasionally suggested me so. Second, WICH art? Since I was a kid I've been interested in drawing, imagining videogames and movies, and storymaking through writing. As I grew up I took into sports, graphic design, 3D, interior design - I've been trying many things. Now, after a year spent in designing videogames and planning a big one, I find myself suddenly more interested in film making and writing, as well as 3D modelling.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how I will convert these interests in something that will help me sustain myself economically. I had ideas to make money with videogames, but I don't feel it as I used to. I feel more like starting over and changing objective completely - writing a book and a film. But this sounds to me amazingly impractical at the moment, and doesn't fit with the mental image of "videogame maker" I have developed in the last year. May I suggest that these mental images seem to be the problem here, what misleads and limits me.

I hope you get the point. I have several interests and my heart, after getting rid of the above mentioned mental images, is telling me to now change subject and area of study and make videogames rest for some time. It's basically telling me that the mental image of "artist" and "videogame maker" where wrong. Where not me. Or, at least, not the complete picture.

This struck me as it counters my business plans in some way, although I might still keep the videogames as source of revenew - but not as main interest. This is confusing to me, because I was looking for something that would be both my job and expression, I didn't think I would separate them. But oh well, maybe it's what I should do.

Writing, film making, making videogames, business, interior designs as hobby, 3D design as hobby and who knows in the future what and how it will serve me. Let alone the fact that I did of travelling an art, and I also cultivate the art of living, dressing, cooking, eating, breathing. I believe this model of action deprived of any models and mental images of what one should be and do, is...somewhat fantastic and expanding.

So it seems clear to me that I should simply accept my new inspirations and the fact that I might have to do something I didn't expect I would do. That I might have to change plans and give up old mental models. I am realizing this as I'm writing, some strange clarity is taking over - I didn't expect this to happen at all, to be honest. You're seeing mental clarity taking over fog in real-time. You're seeing what acceptance and giving up control and mental images do!

From this personal story, I would like to be more general and talk on how humans discover and realize their true destinies. Please, if you have ideas on that, also starting from my story (but let's not make it a psychiatric session, please), go on...

<Wanted to be a writer. Became a cabinet maker. What i wanted could not put food on the table or clothes on me back. So, I became a good cabinetmaker. Never wrote anything, but my family got by. Master one thing. One thing that can support you. Best wishes on what you enjoy.

1 Reply

@Elmud,

Good questions, good issue.

First off, I don't think it's necessary egotistical to declare yourself an 'artist'. It's not saying that you're great or even good; it only speaks to where your interests lie.

Next, the whole issue of resolving the practical necessities of life (i.e., a career or vocation that earns you money) with where your interests lie is a tricky one. I, like many people, ended up choosing a career that was distinctly different than where my interests were; this was out of practical necessity. But yea, some folks are able to become what they always wanted. Again, in my experience, this is the exception rather than the rule.

I think one is best to try and balance the two; the need for a vocation and the desire to achieve-X. If you can meld the two; yee-haw. My son is actually working through this entire issue right now (my youngest, he's 24 now). He too wanted to work in the movies and has discovered its overwhelming improbability. It's starting to set in with him now that "real life" has "real needs"; food, clothing, shelter, etc.

As far as the general question: How does one discover their purpose, their destiny? I'd offer the following from my own 'meandering experience'[INDENT] First, I'd suggest that there is no single path that's 'best' for you or anyone else. For either interests or career there may be multiple combinations that'll work. I used to believe that 'out there', there was One Job/One Wife that was just waiting for me. I've since realized that there were many possibilities; that which of each I ended up with was a matter of choice and circumstance - some no better than the other.
[/INDENT][INDENT]Second, I'd place the highest premium on the 'practical' necessities. If you're in a situation where now (or later) you'll need to earn your own income to survive, that this should take priority. There's nothing wrong with pumping gas or delivering pizza's to make some cash. If; however, you can work in a vocation that is one of your interests (i.e., artistry), that's best, as it combines the two.
[/INDENT][INDENT]Think long term; if we plan WAY ahead and are able to formulate a sequence of events that achieves the best of both questions, we can road-map our life out. I think a lot of folks try to do this; some succeed, some don't and almost everyone ends up modifying his or her 'roadmap'. Stuff comes up, plans get altered, things happen - count on it and be ready to adjust.
[/INDENT][INDENT]Sometimes folks find that their interests are best as "sideshows" in concert with their careers/vocations. Others (like me) end up with most of their childhood aspirations sitting on a shelf somewhere; overcome by events while new interests grew and supplanted the other.
[/INDENT]I guess the bottom line for me is: Know what you want and place that right under what you need. The extent to which you can marry the two is so much the better.

Hope this helps - thanks for asking.

0 Replies

Finding your life's purpose, and your real talent

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know