How important is "Finding a Passion?"

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When we discuss me getting a job, my mom often laments that I don't have productive "passion:" i.e. I don't have a set goal for a job or career that I would like to do. In my opinion, deciding on what "career" you would want would result in you narrowing your horizons and thus avoiding a potential decent job out there because it is out of your focus. My philosophy is that rather than ask "what job/career would I like to have," you should ask "what jobs that are out there which I would be good at that I am qualified for?," and that "having a passion/decided on a career" will only narrow your horizons, and, by doing that, will only make your job searching prospects worse (and they're very bad already.)

So what do you think? How important do you think have a decided "direction" is? I mean, I know I'm skilled in some areas and lacking in others (such as people skills ), but still...

Wow... Thats pretty shallow of you mom to say that. You need to pursue your dreams but don't let that deter opportunities that may be open at the moment.

Actually, she doesn't think I really have a dream to follow, and that's the problem.
I do have goals in life, just not for a specific career...

I have a few interests and hobbies that I would love to turn into something more, but they are not things that are likely to get me anywhere. They are things like jewellery and beading, leatherwork, anything creative etc. Only problem is that I am entirely self taught. While there are some small courses in a few things, they always seem to be outside the range of my transport and finances. And because these interests are all niche markets, there is a lot of competition which drowns out my unqualified inexperienced one person operation. I dont have the buying power that the established businesses do, I dont have the marketing range that they do, and I dont have the reputation that they do. On top of that, I am not exactly known for my people skills and have annoyed my share of people in the past. I am constantly worried that I will have to accept a job that I hate because there is nothing better out there for me, and that possibility becomes more likely with each job loss I earn.

So I find myself in the direct opposite of your situation. I know exactly what I would like to do but it is so specialised that people are pushing me to be more general. You are interested in a broad range of ideas and have got people pushing for you to be more specific.
I find this to be quite ironic.

Hmmm.
There was once someone who posted that their most victorious goal in life was to have the most awesome home theater and sound system. I suggested that they work in that field, either by installing, or if they were social enough, selling, or otherwise working with the stuff that they dream about, which would give them special opportunities to get what they really wanted. (such as employee discounts and discounted access to returned or shelf-displayed merchandise).

Being self-taught may have special niche qualifications, if you can do things differently than other people in the field, and also make or do some of the things that are not already made, especially customized work. In art that would be like a portrait of the customer, and in jewelry it would be a design from the customer's imagination, not the corporate machine or common trends. Who you don't know is probably hurting you, because an artist I knew had a friend who had a friend who had an art gallery and they got their art displayed and sold, which was all "egg shaped".

One of the things I have trouble with is understanding that things I make which most other people cannot make ARE worth more than the time and materials it took to make them. It even comes as a surprise to me that an artist I know sold a painting that I think I could have done better for more than I sold a MACHINE that I made for! And I'm sure the value was in the art itself, NOT his signature.

And considering jewelry beads, a man of aboriginal American descent showed me what kind of seashells are valuable as Wampum, and after a day at the beach I had collected a big bag of them for him and he said it was worth several hundred dollars!

I went panning for gold once, and I didn't find enough to be worth nearly that much!

That seems to be the two schools of thought... either have a passion and pursue that at all costs no matter what. Or find what is available and do what you would most enjoy and either make it your passion or fake it.

I'm currently on the pursue your passion at all costs path. The only problem is my dreams/passions change about every 2 years... either because it's impractical or I lose interest.

Right now my dream is to become a stand-up comedian/electronic musician. These efforts take up too much of my time and mental energy for me to be passionate about a more conventional career path.

I'll be working crappy jobs that are beneath me while I try to accomplish what I really want to do.

Your conflict with your Mom is just two different sides of the "what am I going to do with my life?" question. Your way is much more sensible and practical... if you want some semblance of a 'normal life'... that's the one to do.

Leave the running down of dreams to those who actually have them... makes no sense trying to find one... if you are the temperament that doesn't get them.