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As a high school student, how do I know if a hobby isn’t what I want to do after high school?

I’ve always stressed over the question “what do want to be when you grow up?” because of how many hobbies I have. I wanted to be a writer for a very long time but I’m starting to think it is just a hobby. I love to do theatre and improv, along with art on many different mediums including digital art. Are these all just hobbies or could they be something more?

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Altynay’s Answer

Trying different hobbies is an exciting way to explore your interests. There's no harm in changing your specialty either. You can mix theatre, improv, art, and writing to create something unique :)
Thank you comment icon Thank you Altynay💛 Elizabeth
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Linda’s Answer

This is a very thoughtful question.. making a hobby into a job changes the relationship you have with your hobby.. A hobby is something you can enjoy whenever you have the time, opportunity or desire to participate in the activity... you can put it on hold because of other activities that require your attention, without many consequences... other than missing the joy you have when you engage with the hobby. When a hobby becomes a job, there are now responsibilities & expectations associated with your participation. You will be expected to be at a certain level of proficiency and skill to be qualified to have a job in that field. And, you will need to adhere to a schedule for performing the work associated with the hobby and be evaluated for your results and how you are contributing to the overall goals of the organization that hires you. And, now you will be relying on your involvement to produce compensation to enable you to be a productive member of society. Having to participate in the activity on a regular basis, rather than just when you feel like it, might take some of the joy out of the experience for you... that may not necessarily happen, but there is a risk that performing the activity so frequently and being evaluated for your performance may not be as satisfying as engaging in the hobby when you feel like doing so. You might want to investigate finding an internship or part-time job with a company that specializes in your hobby so you can experience first hand how you like having the hobby change into being a profession. Good Luck!
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Amanda’s Answer

Hi Elizabeth,

Your question made me think of an article from Dr. Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown. He addresses your worry—a common concern—in the article. He argues that we shouldn’t chase our passions, instead they should follow us.

He says it much better than I do! Check it out: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/jobs/follow-a-career-passion-let-it-follow-you.html

If you like his advice, he also wrote other books for teens helping them think about how to stress less in high school and get into the colleges they want.

All the best,
Amanda

Amanda recommends the following next steps:

Read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/jobs/follow-a-career-passion-let-it-follow-you.html
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Elizabeth
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JOHN’s Answer

Hello:

Your post reminds me of the movie "My Fair Lady". Something that was a man's hobby was also his job. Since you seem to have a passion for the arts, in various roads, maybe something within that sector could be your calling card. Having a passion can beautify the road for you and society.

Scene for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhninL_G3Fg

Could endeavor to be within this article's mentality: https://www.coursera.org/articles/master-of-arts-degree

Thank you to you.

God Bless,

John German
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