PASSION LIKE AN AMATEUR

I'm currently digging into Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky and I'm fixated on this chapter about intrinsic rewards, free choice, and the idea of passion being a drive to achieve great things, regardless of professional stance or monetary value. While hobbies and pursuit of personal interests used to be a solitary practice, or among close friends/family with difficulty reaching out to a larger community, social media has enabled us with this incredible forum to connect with people from all over the world on our favorite quirky pastimes. Whether it's photography, fan fiction, woodworking, or anything, our ability and desire to share with individuals has been opened further through these new tools, and we share with others for entirely intrinsic purposes. This is an insanely cool concept. People are more connected than ever, and we receive some kind of currency from these social interactions. When we cook a great meal, not only do we enjoy it at home but we talk about it online, maybe take a photo to share on our social profiles. Some even share the recipe on a blog, or compare with others who have made similar dishes. Maybe if it was a terrible meal, they share it on tumblr with a witty caption. Humor, bonding, conversation with others--never before have we had so much potential at our fingertips. 

Where it gets even more fascinating is the use of this connection as a gear for change and reform. No longer do you have to be a professional to publish something, to rally a community, to raise money for a cause, or to achieve great things. Amateurs are doing a lot these days, and most of them aren't being paid a dime to do it. They're reviewing films, making videos, promoting charities, and editing Wikipedia articles simply because they have a crazy passion for it. Passion is this driving force that has completely evolved from it's previous meaning. It's something we all have in our hearts, and no matter where we're from or what our background, we have the ability to express and share that passion through our new social tools. 

As I'm reading, I have this distinct memory of my SAT writing question from high school. It went something like: how does the rise of new technology better or worsen our communication with each other? 

There's obvious controversies: ah, the lack of face-to-face interaction, oh no, the English language will decline one "lol" at a time. It's now more evident that if this is your kind of thinking, there is a whole new world that you aren't taking advantage of. Never be afraid of change.