its quite the conundrum. one that i have struggled with myself. and while i dont have a complete answer for you, i can give you a partial one.

i was working in a field that i loved. but that choice came with many many sacrifices. i had to work 6 days a week, all hours of the day and night. i was making hardly any money. everyday posed a stressful (but excitingly creative) situation, and i had to work with backstabbing, bitter, awful people.

at the end of the day, i chose to leave that field. i basically looked at my life, and thought about what it would mean to stay in that field. i came to the conclusion that i would be giving up way to much, and that at the end of the day - i would be on my deathbed with nothing but work to show for it.

and i realized, doing what i love but not loving the rest of my life was the same as doing something that i hated for money. because everything has a value.

but then what to do? how do you find something else that you love and are passionate about? something that also fits into the kind of life you want to live? im still working on that one, but essentially i thought about what it was that i loved about my job. and what aspects of said job could be applied elsewhere. and then i looked outside of my career, and thought about what it is that i love to do no matter what. what is it that will get me out of bed in the morning even if i feel like i was run over by a 300 lb truck?

when you have that answer, you can see how to make it work. maybe you can just do that thing and make a living from it. or maybe you can do that thing, and something related to it so that you can support yourself.

in the end we'll all probably have to hedge our bets a little bit. but if at the end of the day, we can use our passions to be happy - thats all that matters.

So, what would you do if you didn't have the money pressure on you?
I used to think a lot like you in that matter, but now I came to thinking that one needs to distinguish what one wants from what one needs. I mean, if what you love came without any effort or sacrifice on your behalf, how would you know how to appreciate it;)

everyone always says do what you love....but a lot of times that's not actually possible...and also not sensible. it sucks, but it really is the truth. for instance, i have this whole thing planned out how I'm going to go to the University of Michigan for law school, then become a corporate lawyer in New York...and corporate lawyers make a shitload of money. But everyone's been telling me that if I did become one, I would have no life outside of work. I wouldn't be home for my future kids and husband...and really, its like, shit! I want to make shitloads of money and be a big-name lawyer, but I want a family that I can be there for. So, what do we do when faced with something like that?
hell if I know.

This specific question, or dillema, or idea, or subject, or problem, or point of thinkin, or choise, or need, or .. well is but also has been - is but has been
In an independed modern society should there not exist people that love and understand what they do?
Does this not give a taste, a grasp, a feel of INDEPENDENCE? of FREEDOM?
I mean leats leave a bit apart the sell out thing, promotin a toothpaste is not some kind of prostitution, if they do not push you to much. It can not be.
when you talk about rock if you belivieve what you say your voice trully rocks it is not just a loud or heavy voice. It looks also polite.
Even if you do not need the money still this dilemma remains. You might already earn money and support yourshelf but still you think of it