14. Be your own patron
June 20, 2025
In these essays, I have been starting to explore the topics of work and purpose and how we talk about those ideas in our culture. More and more, research is showing that having a sense of purpose is a significant factor in living a long and healthy life. Back in 2017 (I know the date because of my trusty goodreads account), I read a book called “The Power of Meaning” by Emily Esfahani Smith. I’ve added it to the “Resource” tab on my website. It helped me think about purpose in new ways and helped me understand the potential power of it. I thought you might find it interesting as well.
Related to these ideas, I have a new movement idea to share – something that could help me to move forward. As I was walking into my dentist’s office recently, I recognized something as a new full thought that had been rolling around in my head for a while. I had been thinking on and off about how wealthy families in aristocracies used to be patrons for artists – painters or sculptors. I hear about that in movies or from museum placards; I think perhaps this was true for composers as well and maybe poets. I’ll admit that I don’t completely understand how it worked, but essentially, from what I understand. the wealthy person funded the artist’s life – gave them a place to live, paid for their food and paid for the household staff that cleaned and did laundry. I had been thinking about that and how we do not really have anything that is equivalent now for artists. There are short-term fellowships and foundation grants, but the idea that someone else is completely funding an artist’s life is not, as far as I know, something that happens today. At least, it is not seen as a role that wealthy people regularly play in society, as it used to be.
But as I was letting all these thoughts roll around my head, I put this together with some of the thoughts in my past essays and realized - past-Kara is the patron for current-Kara. The work I did, the studies I undertook, the money I saved, our work on buying and selling our houses as we moved, our thrift, our investment in our marriage, our investment in John’s career – all of it led me to today, to being able to focus more of my time and energy on finding and pursing my purpose than I could when I was younger. And to allow space and time for these ideas to develop and mature.
What all these connections led me to realize is that “Be your own patron” could be a focus and purpose for earlier working life. It could provide more enticement than “pay the bills.” And, knowing this, that you will one day have more time and space to explore and live your purpose, could inform your activity beyond work, since you know that in the future, you will be able to devote yourself to your ambition, or your ikagai as I wrote about last week. So, maybe take that painting class or spend time in places that draw you in, because it might provide clues to what you will do when you have more time for it. As much as our employment is a financial investment, we can also make a time investment in that future. Don’t think – oh I’ll never be a musician or I’ll never throw pottery – I should give it up. (Note: I’m realizing that all of my examples are art-based and I think that says something, but I’m not sure what. I want to clarify that whatever thing you are drawn too – whether it is a science or art or people skills or building things – follow your heart and make time for it, even early in your career, if you are able.) Instead, commit to trying, to exploring, to following what is nudging you, to the extent possible during your busy days.
My dad used to always say “pay yourself first!” which meant, in my mind, save money for retirement rather than spending it on something that you want now. I understand today that I could also see that as “pay yourself first” in that, all that money you are setting aside from your paid employment will allow future-you to have the bandwidth to pursue your purpose when you are older and more ready to engage on that level.
