Avocation

An avocation is an activity that one engages in as a hobby outside one's main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside of their workplaces were their true passions in life.^[1][2] Occasionally, as with Lord Baden-Powell and others, a person who pursues an avocation is more remembered by history for their avocation than for their professional career.

Many times a person's regular vocation may lead to their avocation. Many forms of humanitarian campaigning, such as work for organizations such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace may be done by people involved in the law or human rights issues as part of their work..^[3]

Many people involved with youth work pursue this as an avocation.^[4]

Contents
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Top of page — See also — External links

Avocation in literature

But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For heaven and the future´s sakes.

People whose avocations were not their vocations

A

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Adams, Frederick	luthier	physician
Allen, Woody	Jazz musician	filmmaker
Alston, Joseph Cameron	badminton player	federal agent
Ambros, August Wilhelm	Musical Archaeologist	Austrian civil service

B

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Baden-Powell, Robert	Scouting	Military Officer
Barr, William	Bagpiper	Attorney
Bennett, William	clarinetist	Physicist
Billroth, Theodor	pianist	surgeon
Blom, Gertrude	Social anthropologist	journalist

C

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Carpenter, Charles	naturalist	minister
Copeland, Johnny	boxer	blues guitarist
Copernicus, Nicolaus	Astronomer	Roman Catholic cleric

D

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Derleth, August	naturalist	Novelist
Duncan, Watson	Actor	Professor

F

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Fermat, Pierre de	Mathematician	Lawyer

H

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Hohlbaum, Robert	writer	librarian

I

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique	violinist	painter
Ives, Charles	composer	insurance agent

J

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Jacques, Brian	author	milkman
Jędruch, Jacek	historian	Nuclear engineer

L

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Lifton, Robert Jay	Cartoonist	Psychiatrist
Lluberas, Gerónimo	musician	physician

M

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Means, Gaston	Con artist	salesman

O

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Obici, Amedeo	farmer	businessman

P

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Peszke, Michael Alfred	historian	Psychiatrist

R

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Roget, Peter Mark	Lexicographer	Physician
Ryan, Jeri	Chef	actress

S

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Smith, Walter Parry Haskett	Bouldering	lawyer

T

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Thomas, Jean	folk festival promoter	stenographer
Tov, Baal Shem	arbitrator and mediator	Rabbi

W

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Weller, Peter	Art historian	actor
White, Henry	fox hunter	diplomat
Whorf, Benjamin Lee	Linguist	fire prevention engineer

Fictional people whose avocations were not their vocations

Person	Avocation	Vocation
Wayne, Bruce	crime fighter	philanthropist

See also

• volunteerism
• vocation
• Otium

External links

References