Is Your Day Job Robbing Your Artistic Passion?

[jon1jt]

Are you an aspiring writer, painter, sculpter, etc. consumed by your day job to the extent that you are too exhausted by the end of the day to pursue your "passion" or work productively? Do you find your day job is robbing you of the little free time that you should be spending with your real work? Share your thoughts!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

I nearly answered 'Yes' here. Then I thought about it. So now I answer 'Yes...ish'.

I think the real thing that keeps me from writing full time is my being so used to the nice steady wage that I have and the things I can spend it on. I could quit tomorrow; and probably, after a few months or years in the wilderness, eke out an existence as a writer of some sort.

But I don't.

I have become too used to a standard of living that doesn't truly satisfy but at the same time doesn't demand too much. I still dream, but I want to dabble for a bit; maybe get a few things published; convince myself that I actually have something genuine to offer before cutting my ties and sailing off into the unknown.

Blaming my day-job is too easy. The real culprit is me.

[IrishCanadian]

At the moment, as a full time-student my "job" nurtures my creativity very nicely. However, every summer I feel so stifled by the routine ... especially the routine around some of those people. I like the people I work with ... but at the end of the day its nice to come here for some likminded people.

[jon1jt]

[QUOTE=Xamonas Chegwe]I nearly answered 'Yes' here. Then I thought about it. So now I answer 'Yes...ish'.

I love that answer! Well said! I suppose I feel the same---I agree with what you said about the standard of living, I was there and am feeling the pangs of it not being there. I've sent a bunch of my work to journals just recently and could also use the affirmation (i.e. green light!) to know that my work has merit, beyond my circle of friends. I am considering getting a do-nothing job where I can actually write all day...like working as a security guard 40 hours a week. I was doing that part-time as an undergrad. and wrote all my papers at work. The pay sucks though, big time. The price we pay for "higher principles." Sigh. ;)

[jon1jt]

However, every summer I feel so stifled by the routine ... especially the routine around some of those people. I like the people I work with ... but at the end of the day its nice to come here for some likminded people.

I "hear ya!" It's exactly the sentiment that drove me to grad school and when I finished that, found myself right back with those folks! ADVICE: Savor every minute of your every day for what you have, like all things, it comes to a crashing close! :nod:

[rachel]

Nope. Life IS my artistic passion.

[Virgil]

I "hear ya!" It's exactly the sentiment that drove me to grad school and when I finished that, found myself right back with those folks! ADVICE: Savor every minute of your every day for what you have, like all things, it comes to a crashing close! :nod:
I would hardly consider grad school, and I've been there, artistic. It may be challenging, but not artistic. Unlees it was in a fine arts degree.

[Zippy]

I’d have to answer yes. I want to write fiction for a living, it’s my passion, but although I do get a chance to write as part of my job it’s the wrong type of writing – journalistic writing.

Also, I’m half way through an Open University degree in Literature, which means at least two hours study a night after I come home from work. I live with my fiancé and, of course, I need time for her too. It leaves little time for writing.

It’s ironic in a way because I applied for the job I’m in because I thought it would help with my writing. I’m working with professional writers every day and thought that it would be a good way to learn. Similarly the literature course was supposed to help – by studying great literature I thought I’d pick up tips and techniques on what makes good writing.

I still find time to write however. When you love something you always find the time, but it’s never enough. I’ve started having some success selling my writing and have recently been approached by a small publishing company who asked me to submit a manuscript. The only problem – I’ve not got one! I’ve got the idea for a novel in my notebooks, I know roughly how it’s going to pan-out, but I don’t have the time at the moment to write it!

Giving up my job is just not an option. If I was single I’d do it instantly, but there are other people who rely on me. I can’t let them down. Still, I’m confident that I’ll do it in the end; it will just take a little longer.

In a way, I think you have to be a little (or a lot) selfish to be a writer. Some other part of your life will inevitably be neglected if you follow your passion. I wonder what the husbands and wives of successful writers think about their partner’s passion. Do they resent it? Is the divorce rate higher for writers?

Zippy.

[TodHackett]

This is an area where I feel tremendously lucky.

Every day (well, every weekday and some weekends), I go to my job as a library cataloger at a small, academic library. Some days I process a stack of books, some days I teach, some days I do a long reference rotation (which basically means sitting at a desk and waiting for someone to come to me with a question or problem). Often, I spend chunks of my day just reading or writing (I'm on the reference desk now!). I have my own office, independence and lots of spare time, and (best of all!) my colleagues encourage me to write, b/c anything I manage to publish boosts my tenure file and looks good for the College.

The upshot? My job-- and I get paid well for it-- is the best line of work an aspiring author like myself could be in. I get to see all the books that the faculty and students at my college are reading, b/c every single one comes across my desk. I get to spend hours at a clip reading and writing, and when I need to do research, I just go up into the stacks. If we don't have the book I need, I order it. I have power like that, and we usually have funds.

So, for those of you budding authors/artists who are still undergrads (or high school students)-- or those of you who have degrees already and want a change-- take a serious look at librarianship. It's a BA/BS/BFA plus a two-year master's, and you're virtually guaranteed a job if you're willing to relocate. If you have or can get a second master's (I have one in literary theory), so much the better. Seriously, the job market for librarians is amazing right now, especially if you know how to use a computer. And any library would be glad to have someone who loves to read and can get the patrons excited about reading also.

As for previous postings... one gripe:

I don't know what each of you does for a living!

[jon1jt]

I’d have to answer yes. I want to write fiction for a living, it’s my passion, but although I do get a chance to write as part of my job it’s the wrong type of writing – journalistic writing.

Also, I’m half way through an Open University degree in Literature, which means at least two hours study a night after I come home from work. I live with my fiancé and, of course, I need time for her too. It leaves little time for writing.

It’s ironic in a way because I applied for the job I’m in because I thought it would help with my writing. I’m working with professional writers every day and thought that it would be a good way to learn. Similarly the literature course was supposed to help – by studying great literature I thought I’d pick up tips and techniques on what makes good writing.

I still find time to write however. When you love something you always find the time, but it’s never enough. I’ve started having some success selling my writing and have recently been approached by a small publishing company who asked me to submit a manuscript. The only problem – I’ve not got one! I’ve got the idea for a novel in my notebooks, I know roughly how it’s going to pan-out, but I don’t have the time at the moment to write it!

Giving up my job is just not an option. If I was single I’d do it instantly, but there are other people who rely on me. I can’t let them down. Still, I’m confident that I’ll do it in the end; it will just take a little longer.

In a way, I think you have to be a little (or a lot) selfish to be a writer. Some other part of your life will inevitably be neglected if you follow your passion. I wonder what the husbands and wives of successful writers think about their partner’s passion. Do they resent it? Is the divorce rate higher for writers?

Zippy.

I know what you mean when you said, "In a way, I think you have to be a little (or a lot) selfish to be a writer." That's why the next girl I date will have to be a writer/poet, somebody I can share my passion and creativity with; a girl I can sit across from who hands me her work and says, "Hey, tell me what you think." I dated a girl once, brought her into my apartment where I have tons of books on display and she said half-jokingly, "Are you weird or something I should know about?" That was over. Non-writer/poet types turn me off anyway. And forget about the religious ones!

Thanks again zippy, and good luck to you!

[jon1jt]

This is an area where I feel tremendously lucky.

Every day (well, every weekday and some weekends), I go to my job as a library cataloger at a small, academic library. Some days I process a stack of books, some days I teach, some days I do a long reference rotation (which basically means sitting at a desk and waiting for someone to come to me with a question or problem). Often, I spend chunks of my day just reading or writing (I'm on the reference desk now!). I have my own office, independence and lots of spare time, and (best of all!) my colleagues encourage me to write, b/c anything I manage to publish boosts my tenure file and looks good for the College.

The upshot? My job-- and I get paid well for it-- is the best line of work an aspiring author like myself could be in. I get to see all the books that the faculty and students at my college are reading, b/c every single one comes across my desk. I get to spend hours at a clip reading and writing, and when I need to do research, I just go up into the stacks. If we don't have the book I need, I order it. I have power like that, and we usually have funds.

So, for those of you budding authors/artists who are still undergrads (or high school students)-- or those of you who have degrees already and want a change-- take a serious look at librarianship. It's a BA/BS/BFA plus a two-year master's, and you're virtually guaranteed a job if you're willing to relocate. If you have or can get a second master's (I have one in literary theory), so much the better. Seriously, the job market for librarians is amazing right now, especially if you know how to use a computer. And any library would be glad to have someone who loves to read and can get the patrons excited about reading also.

As for previous postings... one gripe:

I don't know what each of you does for a living!

Todd, it's interesting you mention this, my friend has his MLS and works in a university library and he said the same thing (Unfortunately for him, he doesn't take advantage of that free time because he's not a writer!). I've heard the same from him about employment opportunities in libraries and today getting an MLS is practically mandatory. I lack the gumption to sit through that coursework, most which I heard is as stimulating as eating hay, not to mention the 15K price tag. But, the starting salary is terrific, well worth it in the long run.

I don't know, I seem to be moved by a higher calling: "I leaf and loaf at my ease observing a blade of summer grass." :cool:

Good luck to you Tod!

[Themis]

Are you an aspiring writer, painter, sculpter, etc. consumed by your day job to the extent that you are too exhausted by the end of the day to pursue your "passion" or work productively? Do you find your day job is robbing you of the little free time that you should be spending with your real work? Share your thoughts!

Not exactly.

I thought not being able to write (not talking about my oh so great talent here)had something to with being too exhausted to do it when I was still in school. But every summer when I have the time to do what ever I want to, I am still not able to write anything done. Okay, maybe that's a little exagerated. Not 'not anything' but a really small something. And then, one year I wrote a really (for me) long story and I just found time for it throughout the school year.
Now that I am a student, I still don't write that much that often. But I don't think it's directly connected to my "job" (studying law at university). I believe it is more that I'm changeing. Getting new impressions every day, learning a different way of thinking ... I sort of cannot decide on a writing style right now and I start thinking about a plot in ways I never did before. For the moment, this halts my eagerness to write since I don't know where exactly I'm going with it.

[AimusSage]

My day job, as a student, does not hinder me at all, I spend all they listening to boring lectures, so all I do is practice drawing, try out new techniques, and just doodle away. My notes for these lectures usually consists of three pages of doodles and the name of the lecture above it.

Anyway, before I became a student I spend a year doing a regular day job, and that didn't really hinder me either, because even though it was exhausting, and I would get home tired, it also provided me with fresh ideas. Now this was just a simple job of moving boxes in a warehouse, and related activities, but despite that, I would see the warehouse as a field of ideas, and even the simplest people that worked there provided me with fresh ideas on a daily basis. Even a box stacked a certain way could provide me with an idea, or insight.

I don't believe creativity can be confined by non other then yourself. Everything can provide a new idea or insight. Obviously, time constraints do matter, and can hinder the creative aspirations of someone. This is unfortunate, but as long as you keep writing down ideas and thoughts, you will get where you want to be eventually.

[rachel]

man Aim, not only are you a genius but you seem to have unlimited energy and focus.
If you have any left over could you please mail some to me? I would be eternally grateful

[TodHackett]

I am now working as a security guard, where I work at a desk at a company where just a handful of workers come in and out. The place is quiet as a library and I bring my books and AlphaSmart and get in eight hours per shift of quality work...

I know what you mean when you said, "In a way, I think you have to be a little (or a lot) selfish to be a writer." That's why the next girl I date will have to be a writer/poet, somebody I can share my passion and creativity with; a girl I can sit across from who hands me her work and says, "Hey, tell me what you think." I dated a girl once, brought her into my apartment where I have tons of books on display and she said half-jokingly, "Are you weird or something I should know about?" That was over. Non-writer/poet types turn me off anyway. And forget about the religious ones!...

I heard that Kafka kept women at arm's length because he felt they inhibited his creativity and writing time. His letters to a significant other, however, were quite steamy. Hmm. All in all, a writer's life is solitare, especially if the partner is detached from the creative process.

Great minds do, in fact, think alike!

In college, I worked summers as a security guard for municipal parking garages. A whole lot of time to sit and read, and space to walk around and think. In grad school, I worked third shift at an old, rickety building downtown. It was great-- I could do my homework and write, go home, sleep a shift, go to class, go home and sleep another shift, then do it again. I got more reading done that year-- for school or otherwise-- than I ever had before or have since.

As for the relationship thing...

Kafka's on again/off again thing with Felice Bauer notwithstanding, I like the idea that writers are solitary creatures. It gives me an excuse for being single.

And I know the experience of having a woman see my (personal) library and wig out. Actually, I consider it a test; my library is like my child-- it's a package deal or nothing. Although, on the rare occasions that my apartment is graced by a member of the fairer sex, I do try to keep the Time-Life book on serial killers on a less conspicuous shelf that my Norton anthologies...

What can I say? In college, I lived in the same dorm Bundy had lived in (McMahon Hall, on the U Washington campus. And it almost drove me nuts, too). And, well, serial killers are interesting people. I've more or less decided that in my next novel, one of my characters is going to be one.

I need to find me a cute writer chick. Someone whose book needs editing. She could show me hers, I could show her mine, one thing could lead to another...

[jon1jt]

Great minds do, in fact, think alike!

In college, I worked summers as a security guard for municipal parking garages. A whole lot of time to sit and read, and space to walk around and think. In grad school, I worked third shift at an old, rickety building downtown. It was great-- I could do my homework and write, go home, sleep a shift, go to class, go home and sleep another shift, then do it again. I got more reading done that year-- for school or otherwise-- than I ever had before or have since.

As for the relationship thing...

Kafka's on again/off again thing with Felice Bauer notwithstanding, I like the idea that writers are solitary creatures. It gives me an excuse for being single.

And I know the experience of having a woman see my (personal) library and wig out. Actually, I consider it a test; my library is like my child-- it's a package deal or nothing. Although, on the rare occasions that my apartment is graced by a member of the fairer sex, I do try to keep the Time-Life book on serial killers on a less conspicuous shelf that my Norton anthologies...

What can I say? In college, I lived in the same dorm Bundy had lived in (McMahon Hall, on the U Washington campus. And it almost drove me nuts, too). And, well, serial killers are interesting people. I've more or less decided that in my next novel, one of my characters is going to be one.

I need to find me a cute writer chick. Someone whose book needs editing. She could show me hers, I could show her mine, one thing could lead to another...

Ted Bundy...U. Wash. dorm... :lol: I remember the day they executed him, fried like an egg in the electric chair, right? The security guard life is a sweet gig, for now - I just started it recently and I'm averaging reading 100 pages a day, sometimes more, depending on the books I'm reading. The pay sucks, but combined with other p/t gigs, it works. I'm supposed to start working 10 hours a week at $25. an hour for an after school program. So, that'll make it three jobs which amount to less than full-time hours and a good pay. I'm not complaining---writing time is precious. I don't buy the idea that you can be a productive writer while working full-time, unless you are great with time management, and most people are not. Consider that the average person gets home at 5-5:30p during the week. By the time they eat, exercise, phone, relax, it's 7/8p, perhaps later. Assuming you have zero obligations afterward, you got 3 hours at best, and how much creative energy is really left in your soul? Be honest.

The relationship thing is rather grim these days, come to think of it. "Cute writer chick," I love the way you think TodHackett! Invite her over, serenade each other with some delicious poetry, she rubs my...back, I rub hers.
After, she tells me it was a pleasure for her. Priceless.

I love the few gals, the real winner types, I've had over my place, they ask, "Have you read all these books?" I answer, "No." They come back with, "Well, why did you buy so many then?" O' me, O' life!

[RobinHood3000]

I love my girlfriend--I once sent her a picture of my shelves of books, and she hasn't fled yet. I therefore get the distinct feeling that she's a keeper :).

[dramasnot6]

My school is robbing me of a real education :) Does that count?hehe...

[higley]

My job better not rob me of artistic passion, I'm an art student. ;) But during summers I work at a party store, and that's not exactly a stifling environment either, heh.

[Adudaewen]

I guess I'm fortunate in that most of my ideas come to me when I'm sleeping (drifting into sleep really). I just keep a note book by my bed and when things pop into my head I write them down. But I swear by night shifts. If you want to pursue writting and work, get a job working night shift somewhere. Its good work if you can get it. ;)

[Lioness_Heart]

School is such an inspiration-killer. Why is it that the best ideas come in the middle of double physics and by the time that the lesson is over, I have either forgotten it or have to run across town to get to my next lesson?

But babysitting is the best 'job' to have for being able to allow your imagination to run wild. I managed to write about 15 pages of... well... various things (thank goodness not homework related) when I was babysitting last night. Talking of homework, I should be doing physics coursework right now. :(

[Stanislaw]

hmm, I would have to say no, since my artistic passion lies in/is related to computing/computers. mainly being a cross between C++ programming and case modding!

...however it does cut into my hobby of hotrodding my old car, which, well, kinda hurts, but, it also gives me the money I need to pursue this hobby. :D

[subterranean]

My job highly improves my technical skills and slowly blurs my artistic side.

[jon1jt]

My job highly improves my technical skills and slowly blurs my artistic side.


:lol: i like how you put that! thanks!

[subterranean]

Good that you find that amusing. In a way, it gives slightly a positive sense.

Cheers

[Idril]

In many ways, my job allows me more expressions of my artistic side than my 'real life' does. I get to do art with 1 year olds, using all kinds of different mediums and tools, I get to create physical environments that I think are soothing and yet stimulating, I write the Parent Newsletter, I plan little 'celebrations'; Circus Day, Beach Day, Teddy Bear Picnics, that sort of thing and I sometimes help plan staff trainings. When I come home, I read, that's about it. :lol: