Wow, it’s the new year already and I haven’t posted since August! I have still been spending a lot of time thinking about passionate people and pursuing my own passion of writing, and re-discovering some others (more on that later). I have also been figuring out ways to earn some income – some of which have been through writing and others through completely different means. I have cherished the initial time I had last year to make some significant progress on editing my novel and begin to learn the ins and outs of writing for magazines. I found I enjoy magazine writing even more than I imagined – every step of the process, from researching, to querying editors, to interviewing, to writing, to editing.
I also discovered the amount of time and energy I am able to put into writing differs from what I’d originally imagined. Everything takes twice as long as I think, and I can’t spend all day in front of my computer screen. And that’s where the other forms of income come in. On one of my earliest story assignments I interviewed a couple who own and operate an orchid greenhouse and nursery, and in the process discovered they were hiring. I now work part time in a greenhouse, doing very physical, repetitive work in the most peaceful and beautiful environment I’ve ever worked in. I literally leave work happier than when I arrived. I have never been able to say that. And it is the perfect juxtaposition to time spent deep in the writing process.
I am especially interested in sharing this story because they are another example of people who have found a passion and are able to make a living out of it – and still enjoy it. I will share their story below, but since working along side them I can also add that their excitement and enthusiasm for the flowers rubs off. Many Monday mornings Mark will take me on a tour to show me what new rare orchid has bloomed over the weekend, telling me about where it came from or what its parent plants look like. Orchids are an easy thing to fall in love with.
Now that I’m writing articles I get paid for, this blog has lowered on the priority list. But I still find myself drawn to the stories of passionate people, so I will continue to share them with you as I come across them. I’m also broadening the initial intention to talk about people’s passions that don’t pay their rent. In the next few months stay tuned for beer brewers, bird lovers, slow hikers, and native plant advocates.
The Passion Project 