Elizabeth Gilbert, a prolific storyteller and public figure, once famously said: “I have watched so many other people murder their creativity by demanding that their art pays the bills.”

This is perhaps not a statement that you would expect to hear from the author behind the-bestselling-book-turned-into-a-freaking-Julia-Roberts-movie, Eat, Pray, Love.

Hence, she is probably one of the very few people on this planet who actually can afford to pay her bills selling her books.

However, as she writes in her latest piece, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, it wasn't always like that. Up until her enormous success with Eat, Pray, Love, she always kept a job (or two or three) in order to support herself as well as her vocation: writing.

Why? Because she realized rather early on that there is an important distinction between the meaning of the words hobby, job, career, and vocation.

Here's how Gilbert breaks it down for us:

Hobby

What you do purely for pleasure. The stakes (making money, getting famous, etc.) don't matter. A nice thing to have.

Job

What pays your bills. Doesn't have to bring you joy or pleasure. Also the only thing you have to have as a responsible human being, living in a material world, who doesn't want to be a burden to anybody.

Career

A job that you are passionate about and are willing to put extra time and effort into. You don't need to have a career, however. If you don't love your career, you should just go get a job.

Vocation

A calling or a divine invitation. The voice of the universe saying: "I want you to create this thing." The highest possible pursuit you can do. It cannot be taken away from you and doesn't require any outcome. You may or may not have it.

Thanks, Liz.

Kindly,

Neva.