The teaching profession is characterized, among other things, by a significant discrepancy between the responsibilities and obligations of teachers and the recognition and rewards they receive for their work. Given the evident specific discourse in the Republic of Croatia towards teachers in the fields of music and fine arts, as well as physical education, the goal of the conducted research was to gain a deeper insight into the issues of the teaching profession, specifically to understand the perspective of the teachers themselves in the context of their job satisfaction and work motivation. Nine teachers from music, fine arts, and physical education in the Republic of Croatia participated in the research. Data was primarily collected through semi-structured interviews, supplemented by two scales to obtain general information on the teachers' job satisfaction and work motivation. After data collection and transcription of the interviews, thematic analysis was conducted, revealing three thematic units: Perception of Job Satisfaction and Work Motivation, Characteristics and Challenges of the Teaching Profession, and Interpersonal Relationships in the Educational System. The thematic units are accompanied by a larger number of topics and subtopics, with corresponding quotes. The main aspects that, according to the participants, were of greater importance in shaping job satisfaction and work motivation were explained. The teachers expressed their views on the current state in Croatia regarding working conditions, today's generation of students, and the newly prescribed guidelines for teaching. They also commented on the current grading system and the criteria they follow when assigning final grades. Finally, the participants provided their feedback and offered solutions for discussions about their work that are taking place on forum pages