Outstanding, Rick. So, true. I’d like $1 for every person over the years who asked me how I make money writing my weekly Wit & Wisdom articles. People just can’t comprehend that I would do something because I love writing and researching ways to build a better life. It’s almost an insult for people to ask “how do you make money on it?” It feels inadequate to say, “it’s not a business, it’s a hobby” (insert passion project, just for fun, etc.). Someday I’m going to start answering with “because I have enough money to do something I love for free”. Thanks for your great and thought provoking writing. Tom
Without passion projects, cocktail parties would be incredibly dull. Like an endless loop of Linked In postings. Yawn. I'd say we need a Linked In just for passion projects, but I can already hear my daughter groaning: "Mom, it's called Insta. Duh."
🤣 Yes, there are those insecure style of posts on LinkedIn that are clearly boring, but desperate for attention. "Please think I'm important!!!"
I do wonder if something is lost when we try to project our passion projects into the world. The performance for Insta (or whatever) becomes the thing, rather than the project being the thing. People get good at lighting, editing, etc. rather than doing the thing they want to be doing.
Writing is more of a performative act, "please read me!" As, no doubt, I want my words to be read. But it's a shame when we feel the need to turn interests into performances. Sometimes I wonder about what I'm prioritizing for, myself...
It's always struck me as ironic that the type of people most capable of amassing resources quickly (i.e. money), are usually the exact type of people who can't stop to leverage their resources into something different.
So funny that I just had this exact conversation with one of my former indirect reports/mentees today. She was struggling with whether to go for her Master's and what to study. Because she seemed really conflicted, it evolved into me quoting a line from the movie Working Girl, when Tess is asked what she's going to do next. Part of her answer is, "...and just wise up and not take the whole thing so seriously." Then we talked about all the other things she loves to do in her life. That's where I have landed in the last year, after driving my physical and mental health into the ground with 3 jobs back-to-back. Now I work contract for the household income, and I started a side hustle as a Travel Advisor, which I have been doing essentially for free for decades because I love it. I have had several passion projects that made no money and fulfilled me greatly. A major mental shift that helped me in the last year was deciding I will never be a VP and IDGAF. Why was that so important to me? There are plenty of people who never make it to Director or even Manager and that's perfectly fine. My only regret is not internalizing this sooner, but at least it didn't wait until my death bed. (P.S. The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware is a great read!)
Keep up the great work, Rick. Really. Your clarity of thought is a superpower, as is your epic sarcastic wit!
Yeah, doubt your tombstone will read: "Never made it to VP." 🤣
I definitely can relate how these identity-milestones get locked in, but then are hard to shake. For me, it was the "Founder/CEO" title... which I later realized doesn't matter whatsoever, and especially could have gotten me caught up in all that game of trying to be the best one of those.
It reminds me of my conversation with "Omar" where we talked about "there's always a higher level" up the ladder to achieve. People think there's a top, but there's not.
You say VP. But after VP, there's SVP, and then EVP, then <whatever>.
And THEN, even for folks like Omar (successful, rich, Founder/CEO) he pointed out:
“There's founders. And then there's founders that have raised from the top VCs. And then there's founders that raised top from the top VCs that are in the top percentile of their portfolio. Then there's this even smaller subset of people that did that twice.”
Like there's no end. Sure, it's nice to have roles where we feel respected, earn enough money, etc. But getting caught in that status game is just pointless.
Your work, and today’s content, really resonated with me. I quit a “big career” five years ago. My husband saw me having so much fun he quit a similar career year later. We’re really enjoying our unconventional lives. It has been easier for me to radically change my life as I grew up in an unconventional setting - my parents were part of the back to the land movement of the mid 1970s and I grew up surrounded by a Mennonite-adjacent sect. I find it difficult (n=10) for people who’ve amassed wealth, who grew up as middle class with a lot of what I perceive as “rules and fear-based stories” to make the leap into passion projects.
I'm glad it resonated. I do believe that childhood upbringing makes a big difference.
My parents both had traditional careers (lawyers), but then did something unusual for a 2nd career (pastor + professor). So it was a great model for me to realize I could do something similar. I'm not so sure I'd been able to if they had just stayed high-powered lawyer-types their whole lives...
Writing on Substack; practicing piano; baking anything that is tasty and loaded with carb; messing with gardening at 1700 ft. elevation in this cloudy PNW climate (although we are entering the hot and dry season) …
That’s THE LIST of my passion projects 😅!
No permission needed, no monetization as an end goal, but full of meaning to me. And the best thing about such passions? I can start and stop anytime my heart tells me to.
Yes I am privileged but I believe anyone can have a passion projects, the only permission you need is one from yourself.
Outstanding, Rick. So, true. I’d like $1 for every person over the years who asked me how I make money writing my weekly Wit & Wisdom articles. People just can’t comprehend that I would do something because I love writing and researching ways to build a better life. It’s almost an insult for people to ask “how do you make money on it?” It feels inadequate to say, “it’s not a business, it’s a hobby” (insert passion project, just for fun, etc.). Someday I’m going to start answering with “because I have enough money to do something I love for free”. Thanks for your great and thought provoking writing. Tom
If you’re not losing subscribers after a post…you’re not really writing on Substack!
Truth!
And I'm positive that 100% of the subscribers that remain... read 100% of my posts... 100% of the time.
They. Never. Miss. A. Word.
🤪
Without passion projects, cocktail parties would be incredibly dull. Like an endless loop of Linked In postings. Yawn. I'd say we need a Linked In just for passion projects, but I can already hear my daughter groaning: "Mom, it's called Insta. Duh."
Keep on with the weird, Rick.
🤣 Yes, there are those insecure style of posts on LinkedIn that are clearly boring, but desperate for attention. "Please think I'm important!!!"
I do wonder if something is lost when we try to project our passion projects into the world. The performance for Insta (or whatever) becomes the thing, rather than the project being the thing. People get good at lighting, editing, etc. rather than doing the thing they want to be doing.
Writing is more of a performative act, "please read me!" As, no doubt, I want my words to be read. But it's a shame when we feel the need to turn interests into performances. Sometimes I wonder about what I'm prioritizing for, myself...
"wrote an offensive, heretical satire about the meaning of life told via an afterlife bureaucracy. Even though it was absurd"
Hells, I definitely loved it. An awesome piece, had me laughing out loud a few times and caused my girlfriend to give me the look.
🫡 Thank you for joining me as I entertain myself!
„Even people with all the resources in the world still find all kinds of rationale for not doing something they really want to do.“
This is still so fascinating to me! Probably a topic on its own for a whole other essay to explore…
Oooo... good call.
It's always struck me as ironic that the type of people most capable of amassing resources quickly (i.e. money), are usually the exact type of people who can't stop to leverage their resources into something different.
So funny that I just had this exact conversation with one of my former indirect reports/mentees today. She was struggling with whether to go for her Master's and what to study. Because she seemed really conflicted, it evolved into me quoting a line from the movie Working Girl, when Tess is asked what she's going to do next. Part of her answer is, "...and just wise up and not take the whole thing so seriously." Then we talked about all the other things she loves to do in her life. That's where I have landed in the last year, after driving my physical and mental health into the ground with 3 jobs back-to-back. Now I work contract for the household income, and I started a side hustle as a Travel Advisor, which I have been doing essentially for free for decades because I love it. I have had several passion projects that made no money and fulfilled me greatly. A major mental shift that helped me in the last year was deciding I will never be a VP and IDGAF. Why was that so important to me? There are plenty of people who never make it to Director or even Manager and that's perfectly fine. My only regret is not internalizing this sooner, but at least it didn't wait until my death bed. (P.S. The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware is a great read!)
Keep up the great work, Rick. Really. Your clarity of thought is a superpower, as is your epic sarcastic wit!
Yeah, doubt your tombstone will read: "Never made it to VP." 🤣
I definitely can relate how these identity-milestones get locked in, but then are hard to shake. For me, it was the "Founder/CEO" title... which I later realized doesn't matter whatsoever, and especially could have gotten me caught up in all that game of trying to be the best one of those.
It reminds me of my conversation with "Omar" where we talked about "there's always a higher level" up the ladder to achieve. People think there's a top, but there's not.
You say VP. But after VP, there's SVP, and then EVP, then <whatever>.
And THEN, even for folks like Omar (successful, rich, Founder/CEO) he pointed out:
“There's founders. And then there's founders that have raised from the top VCs. And then there's founders that raised top from the top VCs that are in the top percentile of their portfolio. Then there's this even smaller subset of people that did that twice.”
Like there's no end. Sure, it's nice to have roles where we feel respected, earn enough money, etc. But getting caught in that status game is just pointless.
My convo with him: https://newsletter.thewayofwork.com/p/free-but-stuck
Your work, and today’s content, really resonated with me. I quit a “big career” five years ago. My husband saw me having so much fun he quit a similar career year later. We’re really enjoying our unconventional lives. It has been easier for me to radically change my life as I grew up in an unconventional setting - my parents were part of the back to the land movement of the mid 1970s and I grew up surrounded by a Mennonite-adjacent sect. I find it difficult (n=10) for people who’ve amassed wealth, who grew up as middle class with a lot of what I perceive as “rules and fear-based stories” to make the leap into passion projects.
I'm glad it resonated. I do believe that childhood upbringing makes a big difference.
My parents both had traditional careers (lawyers), but then did something unusual for a 2nd career (pastor + professor). So it was a great model for me to realize I could do something similar. I'm not so sure I'd been able to if they had just stayed high-powered lawyer-types their whole lives...
Rick, This resonates so much and you put it into words so nicely. Thank you! Certainly a big reason when I started my Substack, 72 Seasons of Tea!
I'm glad it resonates with your experience!
Writing on Substack; practicing piano; baking anything that is tasty and loaded with carb; messing with gardening at 1700 ft. elevation in this cloudy PNW climate (although we are entering the hot and dry season) …
That’s THE LIST of my passion projects 😅!
No permission needed, no monetization as an end goal, but full of meaning to me. And the best thing about such passions? I can start and stop anytime my heart tells me to.
Yes I am privileged but I believe anyone can have a passion projects, the only permission you need is one from yourself.