What If Work Felt Erotic (Part 2)
"Most of us were trained to be good cogs, rule-following factory laborers."
Yesterday’s post generated some lovely conversation and got me even more curious about work culture in other countries.
Not surprisingly, a few friends from Europe chimed in to share their experiences.
If you haven’t yet, go back and read Part One: What If Work Felt Erotic first. I concluded with these questions:
What if workplaces paid attention to people’s hearts and souls—their mental, physical, emotional, and creative well-being?
What if our work felt erotic again—stirred us to be our most alive, curious, awake, and vibrant in our everyday realities?
Could we start addressing the need for meaning, beauty, and play—as well as a paycheck?
Obviously, we can—and we must.
How we feel at work, even if we’re self-employed, shapes the energy we bring to everything else we do.
But most of us were trained to be good cogs, rule-following factory laborers.
Seth Godin, in his revolutionary book Linchpin, calls for a different kind of worker—the indispensable one.
The artist. The person who shows up with new ideas, heart, and value.
He reminds us that the old industrial bargain—compliance in exchange for security and steady income—no longer holds.
And yet, the system still demands busy, productive, obedient bees.
The Human Priority
A local friend and reader, Beth, said it perfectly:
“We need to start applauding and celebrating the people who make being human their priority. People who celebrate their humanity through art, writing, child-rearing, community building, conservation, building playgrounds, giving back in some way.”
Imagine if that were the norm for future generations—people were hired because they refuse to let go of their soul, their passions, their life force.
Instead, most jobs still ask us to prove our devotion by surrendering every ounce of time and energy:
Weekends? Sure. Evenings? No problem. Flexibility? I’ll make it work.
Employers often gauge our worth by how willing we are to rearrange our lives for their success.
We still fall for it—it’s the conditioning of productivity culture.
What If We Flipped It?
What if work culture began valuing humans with children and families, creative pursuits and hobbies, community ties, and dreams?
Hello? Those are green flags, not distractions.
Would it really be so hard for management to get excited about people who want to show up fully for work and for life?
The U.S. remains the only industrialized nation with no required paid parental leave.
Globally the average is 12 weeks; in Europe, 20.
Some small, family-owned businesses do far better, offering care and flexibility even without big budgets.
Because, really, it’s about the little things—the everyday choices that make human flourishing possible.
Imagine If Companies…
encouraged everyone to take a few hours or a day off each week—no guilt attached.
asked real questions about employees’ lives and interests, and actually listened.
found creative, meaningful ways to invest in those interests.
offered space during the day for things that bring energy—exercise, a kid pickup, a coffee with a friend.
treated curiosity and conversation as part of the workday.
lowered the number of hours to be considered “full time”
Although we live in the “creative economy,” our minds are still trapped in industrial patterns—and it starts long before anyone’s hired.
The Interview as Relationship
So many interviews sound the same:
How can you benefit our workplace? What skills will make us better?
Those are fine—but what about the person sitting in front of you?
Ask interesting questions. Let them tell you what would feel supportive, and take seriously what they say. Be just as interested in the person you’re hiring as they are in figuring out who your company is.
Spend half the interview simply discovering who they are—their story, their self-taught expertise, their way of seeing the world.
Let interviews feel like sitting down with a friend, exploring how you might build something beautiful together.
I’m recalling one interview a few months ago. I was highly motivated to get the job and not once did they ask me about myself. Not once. For 25 minutes, they told me about the position, what it entails, and the amazing work they are doing in schools. It was enlightening, and I could sense their real passion for it.
Then, with the last 5 minutes of the interview, they asked me, “Do you have any questions for us about the position?”
I did have a couple, but mainly, I could feel all the energy had been sucked out of me at that point. They didn’t bother to spend 5 minutes getting to know me or ask any follow-up questions about what they read on my one-page resume and cover letter.
We don’t have to play the corporate game.
We can be human here.
The Artful Resume
Let’s talk about that resume.
Open any template and you’ll see the same formula: education, work history, a bullet list of skills, maybe a tidy summary.
What if half the page celebrated lived experience—the passions, side projects, aspirations, and dreams that shape a person’s life?
Imagine a resume that’s equal parts what I’ve done and who I am. A colorful masterpiece.
Instead, some of the best parts of us are forced into an optional footnote at the bottom, a few brief by-the-way lines at the end.
Imagine, an artful resume. It might say:
This isn’t just what I can offer your company.
This is what I bring as a human being.
This is how I want to grow, contribute, and impact the world as a whole.
What if interviews started with this as the foundation.
Workplaces built on curiosity, care, and mutual respect—where every exchange, from the first handshake to the final day, feels like a living, breathing relationship.
A world that honors the fullness of being alive.
Glimpses from Abroad
A friend from the UK quickly listed out all the ways she feels supported in her life through her workplace:
• work from home full time
• get a small health allowance (for private healthcare if I don’t want to use the NHS) and eye tests/dentist trips paid for (up to a certain amount)
• get 30 days of paid leave plus public holidays and the option to ‘sell’ PTO days back to the company if I can’t take them all
• a year of maternity leave with six months fully paid and three months fully paid for dads
• five days paid leave per year to take care of my kids if they’re sick
• office equipment—they just sent me an ergonomic office chair before I went on maternity leave
• two days paid leave for personal development
• two days paid leave for charity work
• £200 towards personal development each year
And if you’re not already swooning, here’s what a friend from Finland told me:
• I’m working hybrid from Lapland and my office is in Helsinki. I go there every second week for two days.
• I get 10 extra days off per year for this since travelling is out of my time with my kids (this is what my employer said!)
• This is all on top of my 5 weeks of paid vacation yearly.
• €250 for lunch each month.
• €240 for cultural activities or sports (gym, concerts, etc.).
• One big benefit for a woman of my age is the occupational healthcare: I get to see a specialist physician three times a year and a gynaecologist once a year for free, plus a physiotherapist according to my needs.
In her words: “Small things, but they make a huge difference as a working mom!! And I get to live where I feel happiest—where the pace of living is still slow, and the air is the freshest!”
Are you not packing your bags already, friends?
The Invitation
It might feel unattainable, but change starts small.
We can each stand up for workplaces—and lives—that support vitality, creativity, and champion compassion for one another and the planet.
Let’s keep imagining, and then acting, toward a culture of work that celebrates being human.
Tell me, what struck a chord with you in this piece? I’m all ears! What ideas do you have or what else can we explore on this topic?
*Also, can I ask you a favor, if you are vibing with these ideas, please share this piece with others you know who have expressed similar questions.
PS: I highly recommend reading this article from Jade, an American living and working in Finland, it made me cry. Truly, America, it’s time to get to work, the real work of being human!
Love this take. And I'm flattered to have been included in the conversation ☺️.