The Struggle That Follows With Pursuing A Creative Career

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Do you know what’s funny? Like, what’s really funny?

When you’re having a breakdown- because you’re about to graduate and you have no clue what you want to do with your life because you need to make money (you don’t necessarily want to but you need to) and you need to be creative (your deep soul is telling you that) AND right as you’re having this miniature attack your best friend sends you a message: “Hey, what are you doing next year?”

Okay, yes that is hilarious. It really is. But I still don’t know how to answer the question.

I’m a Creative Writing major. I am massively proud of this and figure it as one of the best decisions of my life. I work hard and I write well and I have interesting, worthwhile ideas. I’d love to just sit around and be a wordsmith everyday of my life. But that’s not enough, something needs to happen with these words of mine. Also, society keeps telling me I need to make money so I need to face my battle. I need to turn my passion into a career.

They say it can be done. Hard-work and passion and luck can lead you to have it all but it’s difficult and unlikely. Okay, great. I’d rather not have to deal with the money part or the job hunt part.

I just want to create how I want to, without worries if my boss will like it because let’s be honest s/he might not have any creative integrity. I just want to write. I’m idealistic enough to think I’ve found the great “what I’m supposed to do with my life” and I don’t want logistics to get in my way.

BUT YOU’VE HEARD ALL THAT BEFORE!

In fact, that could very well be the things you say. Am I preaching your anxieties yet?

Here’s the deal, the real deal, frustrating spiel that prevents those of us in Creative Fields to have more certainty.

First, it’s not that jobs with a creative outlet don’t exist. They do. However, there is definitely a competitiveness to them. Unfortunately, you can’t quite live off of a crappy writing or dancing gig quite like you can live off a crappy accounting or medical job. Stability, is not our friend here. Even though we’re perfectly nice people and totally friendly but whatever.

But, more intimidating, you just don’t know if these jobs are legit. Freelancing jobs look sketchy, jobs labeled “Creative” might not truly give you the creative freedom you desire,jobs that allow you to follow your creative soul could end up with you hating yourself if the actual job sucks, some of these jobs might not even be real (see creative coaching- do people actually pay for this?). Somehow, it seems the world is dead set to have you doubt every single job post.

The wonderful thing about creative fields is that your work can be applied to nearly anything. The horrible part is, well just that. Possibilities become daunting and it’s troublesome to separate what you want to do and what you can do and what you’ll be paid to do.

You want to do it all, at least a little. You don’t want a job title. You just want to work.