What if the one thing you actually want to do won’t pay the bills?

[Thought Art]

What would you do if your heart mind and soul knew exactly what you wanted but you knew it would never pay the bills, and the odds of success were essentially 0. 
 

Would you even bother putting the effort in? Or just settle for making money and getting the basic human needs met? 
 

I feel like I am in this trap. I know what I would do if I could do anything. But, the realities of the economy and industry my dream is in shows I’ll never be a success in it. 
 

Seems a cruel reality. What would you do?

Like… why invest and pursue mastery in something… if you are forced to be a wage slave for 8 hours a day, and 2 hours of commute? 
 

It makes no sense to me to make art for its own sake. I mean… it does, and it doesn’t. I know I need to master something to escape wage slavery. But, I don’t wanna do work that is just for money…. And putting all my time into my art is actually impossible because I’m a slave. 
 

I know it comes down to the style of your motivation… like what you want from it or whether it’s internal/ external etc. 

 

I am in a weird place right now. It’s not good…

Edited 20 hours ago by Thought Art

[Bjorn K Holmstrom]

I really feel you. Don't let the economy's inability to value your work trick you into devaluing it. Even if it doesn't pay a single bill and you just have time for it a few hours per week. I hope things get better, for all of us.

[Ramasta9]

In a heartbeat, always follow your true-north.

[Thought Art]

6 hours ago, Bjorn K Holmstrom said:

I really feel you. Don't let the economy's inability to value your work trick you into devaluing it. Even if it doesn't pay a single bill and you just have time for it a few hours per week. I hope things get better, for all of us.

This makes me question the value of my life in its entirety. I don’t want to experience life that isn’t aligned with my dreams. I’m trying not to let victim mentality rot my brain. But man, if I’m just gonna be a wage slave you can kill me tomorrow…

Life should be good. And, dreams should be achievable… 

Edited 12 hours ago by Thought Art

[Thought Art]

@Ramasta9 I’m gonna risk it. I have no choice anymore. There is no life without it. 

Edited 12 hours ago by Thought Art

[Thought Art]

Life should be awesome. Not slavery. 
 

I have this burning ambition inside me. My music is good. I know I can be world class. I’ve grown a lot since I used to play festivals. Those times weren’t easy. I tried to follow an accounting path, nope. Qigong path, not sure anymore. I want to make profound music. Everything else is bullshit. 

Edited 12 hours ago by Thought Art

[Miguel1]

1 hour ago, Thought Art said:

I’m gonna risk it. I have no choice anymore. There is no life without it. 

 

Quote

Life should be awesome. Not slavery. 
 

I have this burning ambition inside me. My music is good. I know I can be world class. I’ve grown a lot since I used to play festivals. Those times weren’t easy. I tried to follow an accounting path, nope. Qigong path, not sure anymore. I want to make profound music. Everything else is bullshit. 

Just came here to say that I absolutely relate with you, 100%. That's why I dropped all BS, everything, and just started following what my true calling is: art, raw emotional dancing, and writing - combined into something unique.

Just like you, I know deep down I can be world class. I have a very very unique angle like no other.

[Ishanga]

I sort of have this feeling as well.. There was a time in my life where I was "Living the Dream", I was teaching Martial Arts full time, and running my Sifu's school and getting paid for it, that lasted 3yrs, it was cool in one sense, and not so cool, as I had to deal with the business side of things, bringing students in, signing them up, setting up payments and dealing with delinquint accounts, so that was not so cool.. Then I had to leave that due to a family crisis, but it was beginning to not be cool at all then as the relationship with my Sifu was declining in a way...

Now I haven't taught Martial Arts since 2021, work full time at a good paying job but it is destroying my body and slowly my mind lol, but I dream of doing my own thing, teaching Martial arts, and starting a Well Being Coaching online business, but I'm too tired after work to do any of this...

The only thing I can do is accept this situation as it is, this will stop any suffering of it too happen, and then see what I can do about my situation and make some changes!!

[Thought Art]

The reality is I’m probably fucked. So, I have to decide to live with it or take my chances with a shorter life. 

[aurum]

4 hours ago, Thought Art said:

Life should be awesome. Not slavery. 

That's survival.

To not live life like a slave is a massive privilege, not just something you get.

You can say it "should" be awesome, but it doesn't matter how you think it "should" be.

If I was you, I'd focus on figuring out how you can align income with something you care about. Doesn't have to be perfect. A little bit of wage slavery won't kill you. But keep refining and honing in on a larger vision to break out of it.

Overall, have some patience. You are asking for something extremely rare that almost no human has.

Edited 7 hours ago by aurum

[Thought Art]

what most humans have is bullshit. 

I want the actual thing. None of this hobby bullshit, become a music teacher bs. Fuck all that! That’s not God! That’s nots being a massive value provider. It’s bullshit. 
 

What’s the point of all the study of personal growth and stuff if I just wind some some mediocre asshole. I’m so tired of shit shit. 
 

Notice how wage slavery isn’t “a bit of” it’s like your whole fucking life. It’s a stupid waste of life. 
 

Life should be awesome. Life should be awesome. If it’s not you are doing it wrong. I’ve done it wrong. 
 

Growing up with my alcohol daddy and codependency marriage left me all fucked up. Thanks God. While I could have been a legend I was trying to get my mind and heart straight from the nonesense I was raised in. 
 

Life should be awesome. My life should be special, and profound, and beautiful and good. That’s what my life should be and I deserve it. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Thought Art

[Leo Gura]

What you do then is make money so you can one day work on your passions or art.

Rarely can you work full time on your art immediately. Usually you have to buy that prevelige with work.

You can find high-paying work so you save more money faster.

Edited 7 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Thought Art]

@Leo Gura That sounds so sad. I really think this life is over for me. I’m gonna take a break from the forum. I hate my life and I hate reality and this stupid place. 
 

Every option I get is “do something else”. Fuck doing something else!!! 
 

I don’t want to just make money. And, honestly I don’t even know how! If I could make a million dollars I would have. If I could do that I could probably make anything work. But, I can’t. 
 

All this personal growth stuff and spirituality is bullshit. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Thought Art

[LoneWonderer]

Sorry to hear you are suffering friend. Just sending you a huge VR hug.

[Leo Gura]

5 minutes ago, Thought Art said:

@Leo Gura That sounds so sad. I really think this life is over for me. I’m gonna take a break from the forum. I hate my life and I hate reality and this stupid place. 

It is not sad, it is part of the challenge of life.

A caveman cannot just paint all day, he has to hunt first. No one is just born an artist, you have to build it out over decades.

Don't feel bad about that. It's a long-term project.

There is nothing wrong with finding a high-paying job. It can be fun too. Spend a few years mastering how to make money. It will be good for you.

You need to look for ways to make your life more enjoyable.

Edited 7 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Thought Art]

@Leo Gura God created plenty of real musicians but gave me a fucking cave. That’s hell. That’s bad. Some artists I like… most, figure this out in their 20s. I’m 30 and I feel light years away from anything substantial. 
 

I hate life so much. Like, there is so much beauty but then… it’s like… wake up, work, get home and be tired,…. And then do it over and over again. That’s such a bad design. His literally made a shitty design. 
 

I don’t know if I can keep on doing this. 
 

“let’s make a dream where I have a dream to do X but am forced to do Y.”

yeah, yeah

 

Why would God make my life like, 80 years max, make my Youth where I’m a retard, and then force me to do shit I have 0 value in doing for 20 years just hoping one day I can do the thing I want…. But then I am like 50 or 60? And then I’m too old to enjoy it. It’s a joke. 
 

All this shit is a joke. You have to be like 12 years old, find Actualized, find your dream and commit to it from that point. If you don’t you wind up a loser like me. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Thought Art

[Leo Gura]

4 minutes ago, Thought Art said:

“let’s make a dream where I have a dream to do X but am forced to do Y.”

Dude, this is like the reality for 98% of humans.

You can't just immediately do fun stuff. You have to build it first.

I had to grind my ass for years just to grind my ass on my passion.

You don't appreciate how hard musicians gotta work to reach their positions.

Everything good in life take enormous work.

Edited 7 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Thought Art]

@Leo Gura It’s a bad design. 
 

If I was God what would I create?

98% disappointing lives 

yeah yeah

Anyway, it’s just so frustrating. I hate life. I feel like, it’s just this stupid repetitive grind. So disappointed in myself, my brain…. My skills and my success. I’m such failure and I hate it. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Thought Art

[Elliott]

@Thought Art you can't do your project as a non-priority? You have a lot of years left to get it to work.

 

Did you ever market to corporate groups? If you're still doing Qigong I really think you could find a niche market there. There's a shift in corporate culture focusing on more holistic health. And there's money there.

[Thought Art]

@Elliott I could… I tried cold calling companies once and realized I am not built for that. 
 

I don’t know. Everything is hard. 

If I knew how, I would. I’m confused as to what works. 
 

If I knew a way to get corporate clients I would. I have taught in offices before and had good results. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Thought Art