[digitalchaos]

Hello everyone.

I am not sure if these forums include all psychology topics, or if they were intended more for help, so please excuse if I am off topic.

In recent times, I have been trying to find a strong interest, or passion. Something which I enjoy enough to put tremendous effort into, as much as it takes to make progress or accomplish it.

I have quite a few interests, some of them fairly strong. However, I seem to struggle with finding one in which I can both put a lot of persistant effort into, and is at all useful.

Now that I have explained this, I would like to know more about where our strong passionate interests come from. That is..

What causes us as humans to become so interested, so passionate about a certain thing that some have been able to put almost limitless effort into achieving it?

Its difficult for me to consolidate what I mean.. an example: Someone, such as Thomas Edison, puts hundreds upon hundreds of hours into a task with absolutely no compensation and no forseeable outcome. Eventually because of this outpouring of effort, he achieves the lightbulb.

I have learned some basic mechanisms which allow us to put forth the effort. But, I am just curious about, what is behind the fact that someone like Thomas Edison is passionate in inventing, or anything, in the first place?

It would be great to have the ability to create new passions from simple interests.

Again, I hope I'm on topic here. I would love to finally figure this out, succeed with it myself, and help others do the same.

[darkeyes]

I have found with myself, by being more exposed and/or getting more involved to many things,hobby shows (and there are so many types) trravels,yes,even careers or making it a point to get out and take in all info,displays,places involved, may inspire you,sparking an interest that may become a passion. It's also good to keep in mind that there are times being passionate in something can fade,and leave you "space" to get involved in another. Another thing too, some people can have several things they are passionate about. If you haven't hit on a passione yet, don't pressure yourself about having one, it can hit you without you even being aware of it, but when it does you just may find yourself, really caught up in a hobby,career,travels,etc. and I mean caught up in a healthy manner. I've learned old passions(interests)can be rennovated, I had lost interest in some hobbies for years and just started some again, interest re-sparked, but haven't quite hit "passion proportions" yet.
Just my 2 cents, I don't even know if this is something you meant, so excuse me if I was off track.
Take care,
DE

[hillbunnyb]

..."create passion from simple interests", hmmmmm, kinda left brain approach to an emotional event: ie: passion. For me passion is a Let not a Make. It just happens.

I have always loved and collected pretty rocks, arrowheads, fossils, shells, driftwood,and other neat stuff up off the ground. My Mom and Sis have the gene as well. I have a yard and jars full of my collections. But my gathering was haphazard, spontaneous--- just a whimsical hobby, until I found Mona on May 10th.

Mona is a smiling (from charcoal veins) 132 pound hunk of white petrified wood. In researching petrified wood, I learned about the geology of where I live and have become passionate about learning more. I am suddenly looking at my world through brand new eyes, more informed eyes.

I am sooooo excited by my discoveries I want to pass it on and am trying to find a place in town to not only display Mona, but to diarama the fascinating formations we live amongst.

For instance those millions of plain old grey rounded cobbles of river rocks, are volcanic ash! Transformed over millions of years, but,..... To suddenly realize I was standing on converted volcanic ash blew my mind..... and has blown the minds of everybody I've told. Plus it has a cute name: greywhacky.

I have spent untold hours researching what I have been blindly not seeing for 27 years.... I can't learn fast enough to satisfy myself. I take my same old walks with eyes aglitter, hungry to spot a sample of something I just learned the name of........ PASSION. KABOOM. "It" had been hovering all around me my whole life, but just now came to roost. I guess I was ready.

[SeptemberMorn]

If you're looking for some scientific response, I doubt that you'll get it here, although there are some pretty scientific people here.

IMHO, Passion and Creativity are a right brain process. When you are in "creative mode," your "inner child" is at work since it's the child that creates. Therefore, it's a spontaneous thing, much like a child. They have no logic.

I think it's up to you to listen to the creative/spontaneous part of yourself to find your passion. Something that came to mind as I read your post, is that it seems you want to be "controlled" by this passion rather than the other way around. Maybe a form of "escapism"? I don't know.

I've just recently been hit with a passion myself. In some ways, it's the second time it's hit me. Years ago, I was watching a craft show; watching a woman painting roses with acriclic paint. It's not your traditional way of painting. I fell in love with the roses she was painting and an inner voice, (that of my inner child?) said "I want to do that!!" I bought what I needed in order to learn how to paint this rose. I never did master that particular rose so I made myself happy by learning to paint other things.

My present passion now is to use some of what I learned from that woman and "produce" something because I need some extra income. (Necessity is the mother of invention? Maybe.)

For the last three weeks I've been beating my head against a brick wall trying to make this happen. I have my plans, my projections, etc. FINALLY, that wall is beginning to give. A cantancorous old man has finally made me the work table for which we had the material for. My oldest son, who is very talented and has become rich through his talent, has coached me through the financial part of it and I'm beginning to get through, there. We're in the final stages of him approving my business plan. He'll be lending me the money. A simple (to him) $350.

Passion? Necessity? Maybe a combination of both, but I've had to work hard, to the point of almost giving up, to get to the point that I'm at now.

I can't give you any pat or scientific, pshycological answers. Maybe reading my experience with the "passion" in my life right now will give you some insights.

If you already have some strong interests, explore them... and then listen to your inner voice.

Good luck!

[pegasus]

Hi! digitalchaos,

In my opinion, our interests, needs and wants come from the 'child' part of ourselves.

The 'adult' part of ourselves does the learning bit.

The more interested you are in something the more you want to learn and then Hey Presto!.....that interest can really take off!

[ozzie]

Hi digitalchaos and welcome. My husband refers to my passion for things as addictions. IMO that doesn't make good sense at all. You've come to a good place.