The truth is, creativity is not a stable career path.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that we are inherently creative beings. Even the ones that can’t draw or dance or sing. We all make something out of nothing in some way. And we should all pursue whatever creative outlet that serves us best.
And I would never try to deter someone from pursuing a creative life. But A creative life and a stable career path are not usually the same thing. Mature creatives, who understand that blockbuster success is about as likely as winning the lottery, seem to agree that the solution is having a job that meets your basic needs and leaves enough room to fit in your creativity.
I probably heard that advice at some point in my life. I think I even gave it to a few younger kindred spirits. But in my heart I rejected my own advice. It seemed so drab. So limiting! I was a Creative with a capital-C! How dare the universe interfere with my destiny? Reality, as always, had very different plans for me.
In the end, I did need clothes and a home and food, and I certainly wasn’t really in pursuit of a creative career path. And so I took the advice. It has worked out okay. Events have conspired to siphon a lot of money that most people devote to vacations or entertainment into maintaining my health and a modest lifestyle.
But I still try to eke out the time needed for creative pursuits, be it this blog, or art, or… well, whatever seems to be on top of the pile. I’ll admit that some days that have free time are spent mindlessly scrolling in search of “inspiration.” And then I berate myself that I could have just spent 30 minutes doing project X and that would have been more fulfilling. But I consciously try to do one creative thing each day. Even if it’s just a silly doodle.
I’ll admit a little secret: I started this blog because in the back of my mind were the stories of creatives that turned their blog/whatever into commercial success. And, honestly, if I want a publisher to publish my writing, it can’t hurt to have a body of writing out there. Or if I want my art to be noticed, it needs to be seen. Of course, commercial success hasn’t happened. Neither have I won the lottery. But I have gained insight into what drives me, I have pursued interests that I always let languish in the could-have-been corner of my soul, and I have — this is important — I have shared things with others, exposed my creativity in a way that I was never fully comfortable with before.
And I have enjoyed this process. As much as it can feel stressful to maintain a website and write posts, the reward of doing so — while intangible — is worth it even without a paycheck. To be honest, even I don’t think I post anything that’s worth being paid for. But there is a sense of accomplishment and ownership that doesn’t exist in my 9-to-5 job.
If lightning strikes, and this blog leads to me winning the creativity lottery, then maybe I can quit my job to be a full-time creator/artist. But it’s probably not going to work out.
But I’m still creating, and that is worth more than I thought.