I’ve worked for a company I did not believe in, doing work I despise. I’ve done a job I truly loved while working for an organization I grew to see as corrupt. I’ve worked for an organization I admired, doing work I don’t connect with. I’m not sure I believe there is a beautiful fourth option.
There’s the idea that doing work you love will make you feel as though you’ll “never work another day in your life.” Many have said, however, that turning a thing you love into a job tarnishes the thing you love. I’ve dabbled a bit in writing for money and very quickly found the latter to be the case. I can’t imagine it gets much better, though I can see avenues for it.
Perhaps, for example, as greater recognition lends itself to greater freedoms, I would be less burdened by the chains of clickbait engineering and search engine optimization. I’m not certain that’s the trajectory I would like to take, even if it is possible: to write so synthetically for so long in the hopes of being noticed only to turn around and say, “Surprise! I’m actually authentic!” Some may say that’s how the game is played. The ends justify the means, after all, but I’m nothing if not stunted by a blind adherence to values.
Perhaps I find a niche that suits me. This seems like the more likely case to draw me in. If I’m one of a very few people actually producing content regarding a topic a small group of people care deeply about, I may not have to employ deceitful tactics for engagement. That said, I’m always a bit late to the party or, maybe even more often, far too early. Or my niche interests are just a bit too niche to be of any value.
And these things are fine with me. I’m not trying to overthink the value of the things I do, at least in a monetary sense. Concerning myself with the social value of my actions lends itself to a far more fruitful result and motivates me to create nonetheless.
As for monetary value, perhaps I’ll ever toil with imperfect work, at least so long as the system practically demands it. Oh but replacing that system is for another day… and another day… and another day…