The Third Type of Work

This work feeds your soul and may never make an income, but it's your true life's work.

My work pulls me in three directions. One side is pulled towards what is known and not good for me, but familiar. One side is pulled towards what I think is easiest and new and the third keeps asking for authenticity. The first two are motivated by fear, the third is motivated by my truest self, by a deep-seated need that is always there. The third is quietest, easiest to push away, and the hardest to put my faith into. The third type of work is most important.

The first way of making a living is the kind of work I did in the past. The long hours and commute. The heavy workload and lack of autonomy. The work that caused burnout, over and over again. Artwork and design created for clients, on-site as an employee. This type of work doesn't meet my physical needs, nor feeds my soul.

The second type of work is something I'm learning about now, artwork created based in market research. Finding niches and customer bases that are underserved. Creating art that fills these market gaps. This is new and exciting and something I want to pursue. This work serves its market but stands apart from my personal work. It promises sustainable income and meets my practical needs, but doesn't feed my soul.

The third category is fine artwork. These images can't be easily categorized into good SEO keywords, but they carry genuine meaning. When painting these pieces, time dissolves into states of flow, leaving one feeling calm and complete and full. This work feeds your soul and may never make an income, but it's your true life's work.

If we lived in a Star Trek post-capitalism society, we would all be free to pursue only the third type of work. But unfortunately that isn't the case and most people are forced to only have access to the first type of work. The worst kind. Despite this reality, I've decided to make sure I include the third type of work in my life. To make space for it even if it's only a little.

What is your third type of work? Where in your week will you carve out the time for it?

Three paths exist in creative work: draining projects that ignore wellbeing, balanced work that meets basic needs, and authentic art that carries genuine meaning. The third speaks to the soul - these are the pieces worth collecting.