If you want a career in any creative field, you have to let go of a lot of entrenched attitudes, especially about money.
The first, most widely held, most pernicious myth is, "You can't make a living as a cartoonist/painter/dancer/musician/mime/writer/etc..."
Friends, relatives, strangers in line at the supermarket will tell you that, especially when you're young. I haven't had a day job in over fifteen years, and a 'helpful' soul in line with me at the bank the other day kept insisting I had to have some other way of making my living. She wanted to know what my 'real' job was.
Yes, many are called and few are chosen. Who says you can't be one of the few?
Yes, you will have to work hard. At something you love and would probably do all day for free anyway.
Yes, you have to be innovative and proactive. There are no listings in the want ads for ballerinas and sculptors. You'll have to find your own ways in to those worlds, or create your own job. Show some gumption!
But it can be done. People *do* it.
It takes faith, courage, determination, plenty of hard work and creativity, and the ability to ignore those who say it can't be done.
True Story: In my late twenties, my mom saw that I travelled a lot and didn't have a 'real' job. She also knows I'm too honest for a life of crime.
So she reached the only natural conclusion.
A series of conversations followed.
"Mom, I'm not a secret agent."
"That's okay. I know you couldn't tell me if you were."
"But I'm not."
"I understand. Just so long as it's our government."
"Mom, seriously. I'm not a secret agent."
"Fine. Operative. Asset. Whatever they're calling it these days..."
After all, everyone knows you can't make a living from art!
2 comments:
I wound up a seriously messed-in-the-head individual for a long time because of the "you can't be a writer; you'll starve," thing. It was all I ever wanted to do, but was made clear to me that it wasn't an option. I tried college anyway, dropped out due to lack of motivation, held a large number of unsatisfactory jobs and entertained an even larger number of stupid ideas about where my life could possibly be going before I realized that I needed to do what I wanted and damn the consequences. It was turning thirty. Something in my brain finally connected.
Cute ending. I hear what you are saying about money.... one day we will all understand that but until then you chug right along and I will follow suit.
i think it is money that makes us leave our dreams behind... glad i am not hung up on it.
be well.
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