[2023-01-16] Work for a cause

Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.
~ Author unknown

I recently came across this thought-provoking quote. As someone who develops and shares content, I appreciate the reminder to focus on a cause rather than applause, to strive to express rather than to impress, to share the kinds of stories that are important to me rather than ones that I think will appeal to a mass audience.

Marketing expert and blogger Seth Godin talked about something similar a decade ago. In 2012, he republished a blog post he had written in 2007 called Doing what you love (but maybe you can’t get paid for it).

In the post, he cautions against trying to turn your passion into an income. The reason? Godin believes that when we try to make a living from our art, we end up changing it to appeal to the masses and losing our passion in the process. "In order to monetize your work," he writes, "you'll probably corrupt it, taking out the magic in search of dollars." The same could be said of chasing clicks and likes.

Instead, Godin advocates finding a job that you love and spending your free time making the kind of art you can remain passionate about, whether or not you're able to make a little cash from it on the side. It's not that Godin is against trying to make a living doing what you love. In fact, he acknowledges that "When what you do is what you love, you're able to invest more effort and care and time." However, the safer bet, according to Godin, is this: "I think it makes sense to make your art your art, to give yourself over to it without regard for commerce." In other words, focus less on the applause and more on the cause—the cause being what drives you to create in the first place.

I started my first blog, Café Jen, in 2008 as a side project, initially as a way to enhance communication with employees in my organization and, over time, as a place to share advice to help readers succeed in their careers. The unofficial subtitle of Café Jen was "success at work." This project allowed me to exercise my passion for writing with no requirement or pressure to make income from the blog. My day job paid the bills.

I started my second blog, Jenesis, in 2020, again primarily as a tool to communicate with the staff I had left behind when I took medical leave to deal with ovarian cancer. As with Café Jen, Jenesis has evolved to become a place where I share my ideas on coping with a disease, taking care of myself and leaving a legacy. The unofficial subtitle of Jenesis is "success in life." As with my first blog, this project allows me to continue exercising my passion for writing with no requirement or pressure to make income from the blog. My pension pays the bills.

That said, I could easily chase applause. I admit to loving all the feedback, likes, comments and reshares I receive on my posts. Sometimes I bemoan the fact that a post I spent days developing gets fewer likes than one I spent a few hours writing. Other content creators with whom I've spoken share similar sentiments.

That's why I need a simple mantra that reminds me to focus on what's important: "Work for a cause, not for applause." This is my cause:
  • raise awareness about ovarian cancer;
  • present a model of living through cancer treatment and beyond;
  • provide hope to those diagnosed with cancer and their loved ones;
  • remind others to take care of themselves and their health;
  • inspire readers to express love;
  • create my legacy and motivate others to develop their own;
  • guide employees in advancing in their careers; and
  • express joy in the everyday pleasures life has to offer.
I hope that my absence will not be felt for a very long time and that I can continue to be present in this or a similar forum for years to come.