Blog Post #4

    Starting out this week I was feeling a little lack luster on my occupation because of how much I had going on the previous week but I was determined to make some progress on my pumpkin and have something I was more proud of by the end of the week. I did end up making a good amount progress and now when someone looks at my project they would be much more likely to know what I am attempting to make. I also went into the craft shop in person which I think really aided in my motivation and ability to enjoy my occupation. There were a few other people there and It added a social aspect. It was also neat to see what they were making and the different steps that they took to get where they are now. 

    Self-determination and motivation play a large role in the occupations we choose to embark on and even a larger role in actually continuing to participate in them. When choosing my occupation I knew that there would have to be a level of self-determination and motivation in order to be successful and actually grow in my new hobby. I think what made me realize I could have these qualities in relation to my new occupation was that I had the autonomy to pick what I was going to be spending my time doing. If I had been given a random new hobby I had no interest in and was told I had to spend so many hours each week learning, I don't see myself having hardly any self-determination or motivation. These are intrinsic qualities that I don't think can be forced on a person but must come from within. I knew I had an interest in ceramics because of past experiences so with that I had the autonomy to choose an occupation I thought I would have the motivation and determination to complete every week. 

    Looking at my experience so far regarding ceramics, I can see how without these qualities my occupation would not be at the forefront of my priorities. Time is hard to come by as a graduate student so if I have no drive or desire to spend time on improving my skills and making something that is time intensive I simply would go through the motions and not but as much effort in as if I had personal interest in my occupation.  In the article this week, the idea of occupational decision making was explored. What I took from this article was that occupational choice can be different than occupational decision making in that it is more complex and requires a variety of approaches to grasp. To make an occupational decision one must look at the emotional side, the responsibility, the effect on those around them, and even more factors at play (Parnell, Whiteford, & Wilding, 2019). When I chose my new occupation I think that these all played a role in my decision making process and without considering them I would not have had the motivation and determination to succeed in my new occupation. 

References 

Tracey Parnell, Gail Whiteford & Clare Wilding (2019) Differentiating occupational decision-making and occupational choice, Journal of Occupational Science, 26:3, 442-448, DOI: 10.1080/14427591.2019.1611472