Making Dreams Real - "Just Because" is Good Enough

Somewhere along the line, doing something just for the love of it got a bad rap. At writers' conferences and other events, most people I've met assume that we're all trying for a big best-seller so we can quit our jobs. For some participants it's true. For many of us, however, it's not. That doesn't make us any less committed to our writing. This holds true for any activity.

It took me awhile to realize that money isn't my best motivator. For some of my fellow writers it works well. I've met others, however, who become so emotionally invested in achieving the dream of earning a living via writing (or designing or acting) that they freeze up. They're afraid to experiment for fear they'll make a "mistake" and lose potential readers or waste valuable time. Every rejection notice feel like a stab wound. And after awhile, even a job that was reasonably satisfying turns sour.

It seems to me that even if you want to earn a living doing what you love, it's more likely to happen if you hold the dream lightly, not tightly. As much as possible in this economy, find a day job that suits you so you don't feel desperate. And remember that if you're not doing what you do for love, it'll show.