What if You Want to Be an Entrepreneur, But There’s Nothing You’re Passionate About?

Most people I know would like to make more money. Most people would also like to do it in a way that feels empowering and enlivening. Most people would love to work less hours and give up the lies of hustle culture that says we must do more, more, more. Most people would love to spend their time doing something they’re passionate about.

And here is where most people get stuck.

They don’t know what that passionate thing is.

My sister even told me, “If there was something I really cared about, then I would build a business.” Trouble is, she doesn’t have an idea for a business.

Entrepreneurship and “working for oneself” is often touted as the way out of the grind into making money on your own terms.

But what if you have no business ideas? What if you have no inspiration?

I’m sure we could all jump on Google right now. Hey Siri, how do I find business ideas? Hey Siri, how do I find what I’m passionate about?

I’m sure the articles exist, but I cannot actually look right now or I will take myself down a deep rabbit hole and this essay will never conclude (it’s a real risk that comes with my autistic mind).

"Looking for Inspiration" Illustration by Jackie Schuld

Furthermore, that’ll rob me of my raw thoughts. And I do have some.

First, forcing ourselves into things never ends well. We don’t want to force ourselves into an idea or business.

Second, if you really want to create a passionate business that honors your needs - you need to start honoring your needs now.

I know, not the quick, helpful advice you were looking for. It’s true though.

Most of us bumble through our lives trying to just survive. We don’t get to check in with what feels good and what we need. It’s only by getting in touch with those things first, and the practice of honoring them, that we can begin to uncover what we are passionate about.

This often begins with admitting what doesn’t feel good. For me, many jobs didn’t feel good. While I could have stayed and languished, I decided to try something else. I don’t know what gave me the strength to do that. Maybe it was my autistic mind that has a low tolerance for discomfort and bullshit.

Whatever it was, it was the best thing I could have ever done. Year after year, I tried different paths. It wasn’t all a waste. I learned different skills along the way, met different people, and got to experience a broad range of life.

With each “no” I got closer to honing in on what I did want. Eventually, this led me to art therapy (you can read about how I became an art therapist here). After doing art therapy internships for group practices, I realized the low pay and high client hour required didn’t feel good. This led me to open a private practice.

I NEVER had that as a goal or idea prior to that. My circumstances, and my fierce commitment to listening to what felt good, led me there.

My experiences in private practice then led me to providing consultation for other therapists who want to start private practices. Again, not something I set as a goal, but a natural step forward.

The point is, I also didn’t have a clear vision or passion at one point in my life. I just kept taking the next best step that aligned with my current feelings and needs. This is the advice I would offer someone trying to figure it out.

Alright, now you can go read all those other Google articles.

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