Tips for Making Your Passion a Profession

Mark Luedeman is the owner and president of Mark H. Luedeman, Inc., in Beacon, New York. A custom furniture builder with decades of experience, Mr. Luedeman is a firm believer in building a career based on one’s true passions.

In modern times, it's easy for individuals to fall into an established pattern that begins with school, continues with traditional, ideally lucrative, employment, and concludes with retirement, at which point individuals are encouraged to purpose their passions and develop new hobbies. For some people, this path through life is simply unacceptable. Fortunately, there are a few tips a person can keep in mind as they try to convert their passions into a profession.

A few early steps that must be taken may seem basic, but are nonetheless very important. For instance, a person must first identify their passions before anything else. Someone who enjoys antiquing on the weekends is not necessarily destined for, or even interested in, a lifelong career in the antiquing field. Understanding the difference between a hobby and a true passion is very important.

Next, a person should make a list of possible professions related to their passion and determine the demand for the necessary skills. Individuals who enjoy creative writing, for example, must understand that gainful employment solely as a novelist is rare. Teaching creative writing, on the other hand, is a bit more realistic, while writing creative copy is a profession required by virtually all businesses. All potential career paths should be considered and thoroughly researched.

Moving forward, individuals must begin to treat their passion as they would any other profession. Important steps including creating a comprehensive business plan, revising a resume so that it highlights one’s passions rather than past work experience, and developing flexibility when it comes to relevant employment opportunities.

Preparing Pears for Canning

New York-based craftsman Mark Luedeman creates custom furniture pieces from his shop in Beacon. Alongside his work as a furniture maker, Mark Luedeman enjoys tending to his garden and fruit trees. Each year, he preserves some of his annual pear harvest through canning. 

Unlike other fruits that lose some of their color, texture, and flavor during the canning process, all varieties of pears preserve very well. Some of the best pears for canning, however, are Bartletts, which offer a definitive flavor and sweetness that work with a variety of canning processes and recipes. 

Regardless of the variety, it’s important to select the right pears for canning. For the best results, the fruit should be mostly unblemished and not quite ripe. Pears that are overripe lack the proper acidity and tend to float in the jar, which can cause them to discolor. 

Once quality pears are selected, they should all be washed, peeled, seeded, and cored before being sliced for canning. Small pear varieties may even be canned whole or in halves. To prevent the pears from discoloring, they should be kept in a bowl of acidulated water until they are added to jars with canning liquid.