Recently, more and more Taiwanese want to be slashies. The performance of a profession apart from their regular jobs has found increasing acceptance. A possible reason for this phenomenon is that people are more aware of their dreams and are more willing to live them out. It is, however not always easy to sustain oneself being an actor, dancer, or youtuber. People therefore seek a reliable profession first, in which they are able to make enough money to be on their own feet. In their free time, they then turn to their true passions. This way, they might not have much time to spend on their interests, but not having to worry constantly about their living is a luxury, which enables them to enjoy their passions to the fullest.
I am a very curious person and have interest in all sorts of fields, ranging from knitting to dancing, from scientific research to language teaching. Deciding on only one of them would drive me crazy. Therefore, being a slashie in definitely my choice, and I am already practicing it. Currently, I am primarily a student who focuses on applying to colleges. On weekends, I give private German lessons, turning me into a teacher. I believe that this pattern will still benefit me when I start a career. During the regular working hours, I will be a physician, an engineer, or an urban planner, focusing on improving my professionality and ensuring steady income. My free time will then be spent on teaching languages, producing youtube videos, or whatever project I want to commit to. This way, I can ensure that I am financially individual and that through my main profession, I am constantly contributing to society and gain confidence and satisfaction from it. Creativity won't fall short, either, for I can give it free run through the other job. Being a slashie will also give me the freedom to try many new things. If I am lucky, maybe some day one of them will turn out to be a success. Some people believe that work and interest should be strictly separated. Otherwise we burn out easily and lose passion for our interests. As a person with more passions than I could fulfill each at a time, I don't agree with the statement. Everything we do in life can be seen as work if it has the potential. In my case, being a slashie would enrich my life and this is why I choose it.
This reminds me of what I used to read in Japanese culture books published in the 70s and 80s that I bought second hand in the 2000s...Japanese people had a reputation for being extremely hard-working, often to the point of killing themselves by overwork (karoushi). However, it seems like it was common for people back then to invest an insane amount of money and time in their hobbies. While that doesn't seem to be as true of modern Japanese young people, I have noticed that middle-aged people often have a rather unexpected hobby. I have seen elderly people who are competition-level square dancers, freelance photographers, harmonica players, and on and on.
Your post reminds me of that passion and I am sure you can do it! Keep up the good work, slashie!
“Slashie” is a fun term, I’ve never heard it before! I’m guessing it comes from being e.g. an “accountant/youtuber”? The American idiom would probably be “side hustle”, meaning a job (or something you might like to make a job out of eventually) that someone does in addition to their primary way of making a living.
Thank you @Ajisai!
@Lanny, I actually wrote this for an essay. The term was explained in the question. The given examples are "teacher/dancer" and "teacher/writer/marathon runner". Thank you for the information anyway!