Passion vs purpose
“I LOVE this game, so I want to make content about it." Sound familiar?
That's passion talking. Passion gets you started. But alone it won't build a channel people subscribe to.
Passion is "I love playing Gorilla Tag." Purpose is "I help new Gorilla Tag players learn how to move."
One is about you. The other is about them.
What Passion Looks Like
Passion is energy. Purpose is direction.
When I was streaming flat games to less than 5 viewers at a time, I was passionate. I loved gaming. I loved the regulars that came.
But passion alone didn't answer the question that actually mattered: why should anyone watch me instead of the other thousand streamers doing the same thing?
Back from my flat gaming live-streaming days!
I had energy, but I didn't have direction.
Passion gets you to hit go live or upload. Purpose keeps you going when the views are low, the growth is slow, and you're wondering if any of this matters.
When Passion Becomes a Problem
Alright, that subheader was a little clickbaity. Passion isn't the problem. Creating content you're excited about is good!
The problem is when passion is your only filter.
I streamed games I was excited about without stopping to consider if anyone else would find it interesting too, or without considering if it's one of those "fun to play, but boring to watch" type of games.
I'm not trying to tell you to stop making what you love. It's finding the balance of making what you love and what people need or are looking for.
When I pivoted to tutorials on Youtube, I didn't stop enjoying the work. I found the overlap: I was good at troubleshooting tech, I enjoyed helping people solve problems, and new VR streamers desperately needed setup help.
Passion + purpose is the sweet spot.
Passion alone gets boring when the growth is slow. Purpose alone burns you out when the work isn't fun. Together? Much more sustainable.
How to Find Your Purpose
Your purpose lives at the intersection of three things:
When I got laid off from LIV, I didn't build VR Content Lab because I was passionate about teaching (I still think I'm not great at it). I built it because I kept getting asked "how do I start streaming VR?" and there was no good answer anywhere.
People had a problem. I could help solve it. I have the experience and knowledge to sustain it long-term.
Gap = purpose!
How to Shift from Passion to Purpose
Stop asking passion questions. Start asking purpose questions.
Not: "What am I passionate about?"
Ask: "What problem do I keep seeing?"
Not: "What do I want to make?"
Ask: "What do people come to me for?"
Not: "What excites me today?"
Ask: "What can I sustain for years?"
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Passion says: "I want to make videos about games I love."
Purpose says: "I create gameplay clips for people who want entertainment" or "I make tutorials for people who need help."
Passion says: "I'll post when I'm inspired."
Purpose says: "I post consistently because people are waiting for this."
Passion says: "I hope people like this."
Purpose says: "I know what my audience wants because they've told me."
Image source from https://agebrilliantly.org/
Your channel can be entertainment-focused, education-focused, community-focused—doesn't matter. What matters is knowing why people subscribe and delivering that consistently.
So how do you figure out what your audience actually wants? Look at the patterns.
For me, I noticed aspiring VR content creators asking the same questions over and over in Discord servers. "How do I set up mixed reality?" "What recording software should I use?" "Why does my footage look terrible?"
Same problems. Different people. Every week. That told me: purpose exists here.
But maybe for you it's different. Maybe you notice:
People commenting "MORE OF THIS" on specific types of clips
Viewers asking where to find certain cosmetics or maps
Community wanting highlights from events you attend
Requests for your take on new game updates
People sharing your compilations with friends
That pattern—whatever it is—tells you what people want from you specifically.
Build around that. Not just what you want to make. What they keep coming back for.
Why Purpose Survives When Passion Doesn't
I've been creating VR content for 5+ years. Some days I'm not passionate about it. I'm tired. I'm overwhelmed balancing Gorilla Tag socials, VR Content Lab marketing, and personal content creation.
But the purpose hasn't changed: VR creators need practical help growing their channels and building sustainable income. That need exists whether I'm excited today or not.
Passion is unreliable. Some days you'll wake up and not care about the game you built your channel around. The algorithm will change and tank your reach. You'll get bored. The community will shift. New games will come out.
If passion is your only fuel, you quit when it runs out.
But if your purpose is serving a specific audience with specific content they want? That need doesn't disappear just because you're tired.
People still want Gorilla Tag compilations whether you're hyped about Gorilla Tag today or not. People still want to see skill shots whether you're feeling it this week or not. People still want your take on new game releases whether you're excited to play them or not.
The audience need is constant. Your excitement isn't. Build on the thing that's constant.
Your viewers aren't subscribing because you're passionate. They're subscribing because you consistently deliver something they want—entertainment, skill demonstrations, discovery, community, laughs, whatever your thing is.
That's purpose. And it survives the days when passion doesn't show up.
⭐ Quick Asks ⭐
I'm nominated for an Auggie: I'm in the running for AWE (Augmented World Expo)'s Auggie 2026 Content Creator of the Year. If any of my VR tutorials have helped you, I'd love your vote here! (Fair warning: you have to create an account to vote. Annoying, I know.)
Also don’t forget about The Largest Metaverse Giveaway! It ends May 20th. Some of the prizes include VR Content Lab course seats, Quest headsets, game keys, and gear from Kiwi Design, PrismXR, and more. Enter at bit.ly/487MZxj.
Find the problem you're uniquely positioned to solve. Then solve it consistently. Not just when you're excited. Not just when it's fun. Consistently.
That's how you build something that survives the inevitable moments when passion runs out. Understanding your purpose, not just your passion, is what separates creators who burn out after six months from creators who build sustainable channels.
Join VR Content Lab, which includes a self-paced course, Discord community, and other VR creators building long-term strategies instead of chasing short-term hype.
Check it out at vrcontentlab.com.
