Hi everyone,
I've been thinking about how to make a living in a way that is ethical and aligns with the greater callings and love I have. I do plenty of things that provide this fulfillment that are volunteer-based. I volunteer with a few organizations, both nonprofit and grassroots/DIY. I try to act in a way that's generous and community-minded in my own personal life, in my interactions with friends and neighbors. I make a lot of personal artwork that I hope is therapeutic to others, and I even sometimes volunteer doing some landscaping and cleanup for nature preserves. But of course, none of these things pay the bills.
The work that pays the most is usually to me, the most useless or inane stuff. I'm a digital artist and the freelance gigs that pay the most are just corporate file-juggling type stuff. I'm glad to have something that keeps me going, and I've been more open lately to compartmentalizing my life into making money sometimes doing what's actually important other times.
I think about, if it was more readily possible, what I would love to devote my life's work to- these things are art, education, nature conservation, and community work. And I can think of many jobs that would fit well- teacher, art therapist, park ranger or educator, counselor, etc. But a lot of these professions have few jobs and/or little funding. Most of them depend on federal funding primarily because they're not jobs that really aim to make a profit. In the most basic sense of the word, they are service, or public service.
I think there's a lot of shame that gets impressed on those of us who feel called towards professions that are not monetarily valued in our society. But in that statement, I realized that it's actually very simple. My values don't align with the values of (and forgive me for being "political") a capitalist country with weak public services and programs. There's nothing to be ashamed of in simply holding different values. But it is sometimes a tough pill to swallow. Sure, we can adopt the "hustler" attitude and try to be very creative and hard working to eke out a meaningful living for ourselves. I know it's possible. But it's hard to acknowledge that basic conflict between where the money flows and where I'd like to spend my time and energy as a productive and talented human being.
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So, has this bothered you much? Does this analysis resonate with you, or do you have a different view?
I know INFJs are usually said to be seeking deeper meaning. (If I had a religious faith, I would have become clergy long ago to be honest.)
How have you directed your life based on these forces? What concessions or compromises or workarounds have you made? Or maybe you've found a way of life that is both meaningful and supports your life? I'm curious to hear others' philosophies and stories.
I've been thinking about how to make a living in a way that is ethical and aligns with the greater callings and love I have. I do plenty of things that provide this fulfillment that are volunteer-based. I volunteer with a few organizations, both nonprofit and grassroots/DIY. I try to act in a way that's generous and community-minded in my own personal life, in my interactions with friends and neighbors. I make a lot of personal artwork that I hope is therapeutic to others, and I even sometimes volunteer doing some landscaping and cleanup for nature preserves. But of course, none of these things pay the bills.
The work that pays the most is usually to me, the most useless or inane stuff. I'm a digital artist and the freelance gigs that pay the most are just corporate file-juggling type stuff. I'm glad to have something that keeps me going, and I've been more open lately to compartmentalizing my life into making money sometimes doing what's actually important other times.
I think about, if it was more readily possible, what I would love to devote my life's work to- these things are art, education, nature conservation, and community work. And I can think of many jobs that would fit well- teacher, art therapist, park ranger or educator, counselor, etc. But a lot of these professions have few jobs and/or little funding. Most of them depend on federal funding primarily because they're not jobs that really aim to make a profit. In the most basic sense of the word, they are service, or public service.
I think there's a lot of shame that gets impressed on those of us who feel called towards professions that are not monetarily valued in our society. But in that statement, I realized that it's actually very simple. My values don't align with the values of (and forgive me for being "political") a capitalist country with weak public services and programs. There's nothing to be ashamed of in simply holding different values. But it is sometimes a tough pill to swallow. Sure, we can adopt the "hustler" attitude and try to be very creative and hard working to eke out a meaningful living for ourselves. I know it's possible. But it's hard to acknowledge that basic conflict between where the money flows and where I'd like to spend my time and energy as a productive and talented human being.
__
So, has this bothered you much? Does this analysis resonate with you, or do you have a different view?
I know INFJs are usually said to be seeking deeper meaning. (If I had a religious faith, I would have become clergy long ago to be honest.)
How have you directed your life based on these forces? What concessions or compromises or workarounds have you made? Or maybe you've found a way of life that is both meaningful and supports your life? I'm curious to hear others' philosophies and stories.