For Love of The Game

by Robison Wells

I changed my major four times in college. While many of my friends had very definite aspirations, planning on being doctors or lawyers or Indian chiefs, I was firmly procrastinating my decision. I started in architecture, moved to anthropology, moved to history, and finally landed in political science. While all of them fascinated me, I didn't have a deep passion for them; I didn't really want be an architect or an anthropologist or a historian or a fry cook. I liked reading about the subjects, but didn't want to work in the field.

In contrast, I have a friend (Ben) who recently took a $35,000 pay cut so he could go work for a video game company. Now, aside from the fact that if I took a $35,000 pay cut I'd be living in a cardboard box by the railroad tracks, I was simply astounded that Ben would make such a switch. It was hard for me to imagine someone having so much love for their work that they'd sacrifice more than half of their paycheck.

I have another friend, Steve, who is a typographer. Back in high school, we all thought that Steve was a little eccentric--he spent a lot of time on the computer and loved fonts--but all teenagers are eccentric. Who knew that this was his real love? Now Steve runs a website, and works on the staff of the world's largest font reference book. In critiquing fonts, he says things like this:

With its friendly quirks, Vista Sans is a lot like Tarzana — another Emigre font — but succeeds everywhere Tarzana fails. The more distinctive glyphs feel harmonious with the rest of the font, never jarring. Gentle swashes and a large x-height make for a friendly sans that would work just right in so many settings, it seems an excellent investment.

To the rest of us, out here in the regular world, Steve's analysis seems bizarre and almost laughable. But when you think about it, he's so immersed in typography that he views fonts--something that most people see as mundane--to be art. He's passionate about it. It's the kind of passion I only wish I had about my work.

I found out about Ben's occupation change from an author friend of mine. While we still laughed about Ben's disregard for a big ol' chunk of money, my author friend made the following statement: "You know, I'd take a 35k paycut if it meant I could write full time."

And you know what? So would I. I'd never realized it, but I have a passion for writing. Yes, I always make fun of people who say silly things like "I was born with a pencil in my hand" or "Writing is life!", but I've discovered that writing is the first job I've ever really loved. It's on my mind all the time, both my books and other people's books. I love to talk about the state of the market, and the development of the genre.

It's the first time where money is a means to an end, rather than the end itself. And it feels good. It's nice to care deeply about something, rather than just go through the daily motions.

Consequently, I am hearby announcing that I'm going back to school. Life's too short to spend it doing something you don't love. I want to feel the same kind of passion for my work, like Steve's passion for fonts or Ben's passion for programming.

Note to my future boss: just because I'm going to love my job doesn't mean you should pay me less.