Loving to do things that don't make you money C/D

You ask this on a board full of musicians

you ask this on a board full of sexual dynamos

I only read ILX for the gobs of cash it brings in

i love mixing and have often done it for free. i do take satisfaction in doing a good job. getting paid for it is ace though

in what universe is having a hobby weird and noteworthy?

A universe in which most people's hobby is shopping/amassing debt aka:

http://www.submittheoffer.com/images/usa.gif

Can you find satisfaction in hobbies that bring you a high level of personal fulfillment

^^^ doesn't this question answer itself??? can you enjoy a meal that fills you up and is delicious? would you like to own a puppy that was smart and cuet and well-behaved? do you like to spend time doing shit that is shit you like to do????

THESE RIDDLES VEX ME EVEN IN MY PLEASANTEST REVERIES

when is having fun not fun

lock thread.

the question is geared more toward one's concept of self-worth, whether it be akin to societal standards of success or otherwise.

it's not simply a matter of enjoying your free time.

rediscovering the love of doing some art things that aren't job-related (since musician is my full-time job-job) has pretty much saved my life this year

Making mosaics out of non-perishables such as dried pastas and dried beans? It is nice to imagine you doing that.

i don't know many people (though, to be sure, some) who do things they hate unless it involves making money.

Or perhaps helping out loved ones?

The idea of doing a hobby BECAUSE I need to get to the top of Maslow's pyramid – makes shit so stressful I just don't do the hobby at all. Which is basically why my hobbies are video games, internets, and art I hardly ever show anyone. That and walking my dog.

The idea of even considering whether I am/my life is a success gives me anxiety-related nausea.

http://talkingtails.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/800px-maslows_hierarchy_of_needssvg.png?w=399&h=266

See I am usually in yellow-orange.

So in my free time I can't worry about being THE BEST at my pleasant pasttimes bcz fuck man I got enough to worry about.

Fuck a Maslow

DUde I feel ya but it's a good easy metaphor to dig with the general public.

Maslow's Food Pyramid

i dunno about sex coming before security of the body, family and health

I like that SEX is at the bottom but SEXUAL INTIMACY is in the middle. So what's the sex at the bottom? Getting raepd?

Bcz that is not so much of a need!

!!

haha Abbott

sex in Maslovian understanding = the primal need for sexual stuff
sexual intimacy = sexual relationships in which one invests self, is vulnerable, experiences growth, etc

here on the internet we don't generally concern ourselves with these latter cases though and suspect they're strictly theoretical

maybe this is a hierarchy of needs for dogs

morality, creativity, spontaneity, a full water dish, bones

acceptance of facts

here on the internet

that's a typo, it's actually "acceptance of cats"

factceptance

catceptance

internetceptance

factceptance

I foresee a long career in motivational speaking for you with this one

bottom need of dog pyramid mos defs includes 'baying loudly at inscrutable intervals,' above which is 'mad belly rubs'

we wouldn't need a maslow pyramid at all if we could just lick our own genitals

Tombot with the truth bomb

self actualisturbation

creativity, spontaneity, problem solving

I think I understand the gist of this question, which I take to be, Do you place a higher value on your hobbies (and thereby let them define you) than on whatever it is that makes you money, and are you OK with that?

Like, I've worked as a copy editor for the last few years and haven't really tried to seek new career opportunities or climb the corporate ladder because one of the main things I value about my job is that it's reasonably easy and flexible enough time-wise for me to be able to pursue my passions outside of work (writing, music, improv, crosswords, etc.). I like my job, but I'd probably feel depressed at my salary and lack of advancement if I didn't have these other things going for me, which contribute more to my self-worth.

when is having fun not fun

When is having a discussion not fun? I mean, shit, man, this is a message board (oops bored) so a place where we like TALK AND SHIT. :-)

Anyhow, yes, of course I love things that don't make me money. Like having kids. It's kinda the opposite. You pour lots of cash in it and the only thing that comes out is shit and piss. And some love. ;-)

Adorno to thread.

:D

well, certain hobbies could be a profession for the right person, with the right money, in the right circumstances. there are a lot of people who do things (painting, any kind of art, sports) that consume most of their free time. but what does that do other than make you feel good? it doesn't pay the rent, or advance you in society, necessarily.

what if you're like jaymc (or me), in a position where you're not moving up the corporate ladder very fast, and could probably land a better job somewhere, but you're happy with it because it allows for outside pursuits. pursuits that can't really be measured, universally. is this respectable? is it settling? mediocrity?

Yeah, that's definitely a question I grapple with. Especially as I get older and it's harder to see any of my hobbies turning into a source of income (which was always a long-shot, but hey, one can dream), and I feel like focusing on my career might be slightly more pragmatic in the long run.

when is having fun not fun

-- gbx, Wednesday, August 13, 2008 8:53 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

having fun is not fun when it interferes with your dayjob, and you're broke, and you can't pay the rent and might have to cancel the cable.

slightly more pragmatic in the long run.

-- jaymc, Thursday, August 14, 2008 9:59 AM (41 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

right, but a little less happy, too? maybe?

maybe not. sometimes being pragmatic is happy, i guess.

Didn't Adorno take issue with the label hobby? It meant the hobby was just something silly. This he found wrong as he put as much effort in it (as his "work").

Surmounter, I don't think one has to use standards set by others. What balance do you like? That's what matters. What also made me "wrestle" is having kids which suddenly meant a LOT less time for hobbies. But that was temporary and silly to worry about. I prefer kids over 6 hours of music listening per day tbh. :-)

it's true -- the others thing is what gets me. what will everyone else think?

having fun is not fun when it interferes with your dayjob, and you're broke, and you can't pay the rent and might have to cancel the cable.

Totally individual, of course, but you could start by canceling the cable. Etc. This is the balance.

Personally I could start by not smoking, but it's such a pleasant and relaxing hobby, I think I might need it for personal fulfillment.

Anyway half of those people with the "successful" jobs think they're underachievers even at, say, $65,000 a year because there are people who make $120,000. Once you get into that trap, I don't think you can win, like, ever.

the only way to win the race is to get out of the race

right, re: smoking (my boss just got me a $15 carton from the phillipines!)... and the cable should go, but there are just those CERTAIN shows. only like 1 or 2 that i really, really love to have when i'm just at a loss.

the concept of making $65k/yr is pretty radical to me right now

Can you find satisfaction in hobbies that bring you a high level of personal fulfillment? can you call these things work, even if you what you do for "work" is completely separate?

Can success be measured by such things, or is it reserved for on-paper earnings and figures?

-- Surmounter, Thursday, August 14, 2008 12:05 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Yes. One of my goals for this year was to submit fiction to at least 12 journals. I've done about 6 so far, and even if I never make a fucking dime writing fiction, I know I can be successful insofar as it's possible to see my name in print somewhere in the not to distant future. Sometimes writing is like pulling teeth, but it makes me happy. That makes it work.

I pay the bills with my job. I get fulfillment out of my work.

xp Yeah, me too. But people who think it's normal are spending all of that money like the rest of us are spending ours, it's the ratchet effect of consumption. And there's a good chance that they don't feel any better off than they did $25,000 ago.

Didn't Adorno take issue with the label hobby? It meant the hobby was just something silly. This he found wrong as he put as much effort in it (as his "work").

lol Adorno otm wtf

I pay the bills with my job. I get fulfillment out of my work.

-- BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:57 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

love this

know I can be successful insofar as it's possible to see my name in print somewhere in the not to distant future.

lol maybe not

That's what copy editors are for.

Not that you'd know it from reading some of our books.