American First Lady Bess Truman with Girl Scouts and their volunteer leaders

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]

Avocation in literature[link]

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.

—Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, st. 9

People whose avocations were not their vocations[link]

A[link]

August Wilhelm Ambros

B[link]

Baden-Powell, Robert

C[link]

Copernicus

D[link]

E[link]

F[link]

Pierre de Fermat

G[link]

H[link]

I[link]

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

J[link]

Brian Jacques

K[link]

L[link]

Hedy Lamarr

M[link]

Gaston Means

N[link]

Emperor Norton

O[link]

P[link]

Michael Alfred Peszke

Q[link]

R[link]

Jeri Ryan

S[link]

T[link]

Baal Shem Tov

W[link]

Fictional people whose avocations were not their vocations[link]

See also[link]

• volunteerism
• vocation
• Otium

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: People by avocation

• The Wiktionary entry for avocation
• Quotations related to Category:Avocations at Wikiquote
• Flickr: Photos tagged with "avocation"

References[link]