How to Find Your Passion in an Art Medium

It may sound a little silly not to know what you are (or could be) passionate in, but this really is an issue, especially for those in college. This is when people are faced to make a decision on what they want to do with their lives. It's an incredibly daunting task to those that fully realize it. Though, countless others blindly follow in the footsteps of their parents, never questioning if it really is right for them.

Joy, Money, Flow

Illustration taken from Chris Guillebeau's book Born for This.

There are a lot of points that can be considered when choosing a career. I'd like to focus on the 3 I read about in Chris Guillebeau's book Born for This. He says "Joy, money, and flow are the key components of a lottery-winning career." "Joy is what you like to do. Money is what supports and sustains you. Flow is what you're really good at." Flow can also described as being effortless. You can spend hours doing it and get lost in the process.

My Story Finding Flow

It wasn't until college that I had ever taken an art class. I'm from a rural area of Michigan, and art wasn't considered to have the same level of importance as math, science, history, etc. So when we lost our art teacher, he wasn't replaced. I'm not exactly sure why, but there was something deep inside me that knew I wanted to be an artist. In those days I drew photos and took photos of plants and animals. I've always been known as being the artsy kid. I really liked that, and I think I clung to it because maybe it was the only thing I was truly good at.

When I went to college, no one questioned me when I declared myself a graphic design major (even though I had never tried it before). Looking back, I find it interesting that my college didn't encourage us to explore the different majors in art & design. Once you chose your major, you were set on a path to take classes only relating to it (with the exception of a few electives.) Though, after taking classes in graphic design, I felt I was good at it, liked it, and I could get a job doing it.

Throughout college, I ended up taking courses in painting, printmaking, 3d modeling, photography, video, art education, illustration, and drawing. In nearly all of these classes, I made pretty good work. It took me years to realize this was a bad thing. (If it feels like a curse to be moderately good at everything, it is!) I always focused on the outcome, but not much on the process. I was okay with the processes, but it really did feel like work. I lingered toward graphic design and painting because these seemed to come a little easier to me. Still, I'd get frustrated not being able to come up with ideas I was happy with, and would stay up all night (too often) figuring it out and perfecting it for class. It never occurred to me that it was because I didn't have flow. To be fair though, I didn't have flow with any medium, so how would I know?

Fast forward 4 years in and 2 years out of college, and I finally found it. I found flow working in pottery. This is my thing. There's something about it that just clicks and feels natural to me. Though I'd spend hours in the studio, the time would just fly by (and that is really what defines flow). It's hard to describe, but I can just see unlimited potential in it, and I feel obsessed with making more and more. Ironically, in college I had a friend that said I should try it, but I didn't think I'd have any good ideas. I pictured myself making the most boring vases or cups. (And it's here, that you can also see that I was much more focused on the outcome, than what the process might hold.) This really showed me it's important to try things before you makeup your mind on assumptions.

Conclusion

I just want to offer this up as a possibility as to why some people struggle with the medium they are working in. I'd suggest thinking about what you do and don't like about a medium, and see if you can either work around it, or if another medium would work better for you. I think you should try to find that thing that truly feels like it comes naturally to you. Even with a little inspiration, ideas should come, and you should feel like you can't wait to get started making the thing. The process should be enjoyable, and the outcome should be rewarding.

It's also important to note that just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you like it; and vice versa. Money is important too, but these are much more in your control. I think once you find your passion, you'll be able to build a following of people that will support your work.