Combining Your Creative Passion With Your Profession: A Topo Pino Lesson

There is a common misconception among many modern adults stating that your creative passion and your professional aspirations should remain separate. While that level of compartmentalization is admirable, it’s also profoundly unfulfilling. I believe that your life becomes exceptionally better when you choose to combine the two; turning your passion into your profession. I love my full-time career in finance, but I wanted to find something I could do on the side that would allow me to express my creativity in a healthy, positive way. I started by obtaining my health coach certification early on, and then realized I could share my passion with others by leveraging Topo Pino. Here’s how!

Recognition
Recognition is the first step towards achieving your creative dreams. I first had to recognize what my true passions were. I already knew that I loved health and wellness, and that I didn’t want to leave my career in Finance. I knew that I cherished each and every summer spent enjoying the therapeutic nature of those New Hampshire mountains at Topo Pino. I knew that I’d always want to go back. It didn’t take me long to recognize that I should focus my creative passions on Topo Pino. It’s where I was always happiest. What if I could share that feeling with others?

Evaluation
The second thing I did when determining if I could make Topo Pino a sustainable part of my life was evaluate where my current skill sets, and the skill sets of those around me, lay. Did I have anyone that would be willing to accompany me on this creative journey? Did I have a unique outlook that I could use in the creation of my dream?  

As it turns out my mother had spent over 50 summers learning the White Mountain National Forest area, and countless years learning important business skills from her father who ran the Cranbury Inn in Cranbury, New Jersey. Who better to go into business with than someone who shared a mutual love for the property and strong support for my dreams?

Fruition
Once I had figured out the  “where” and the “who” of my creative passion, all I had to do was nail down a way to make it work. This is the only aspect that is perhaps more business-related than creative minds tend to like, but it’s necessary to ensure success. To truly entwine your passion and your profession, you need to find a way to make them both sustainable.

For me, it was offering Topo Pino as a glamping site via Tentrr, a wedding venue via Mayflower Venues, and a retreat and farm-to-table culinary venue via local partnerships and word-of-mouth. All of these things have the potential to provide income while preserving the integrity of my beloved property and the revitalization of any potential clients, both of which are fundamental components of my wellness coaching efforts. They also allowed me to grow my full-time finance career in Portland, Maine, which I look forward to nurturing as I continue to foster relationships with flourishing Maine companies!

Combining your creative passion and your profession is entirely achievable as long as you are willing to spend a little bit of time and effort on critical thinking. Recognize what your creative passions are and where they thrive. Evaluate your skill sets and the skill sets of those around you, then brainstorm a few ways you could combine those skills, your creativity, and your resources to bring your dreams to fruition.

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