Don't quit your day job 💃
You don't have to be a full time artist to be an artist!
We didn't travel for the holidays this year, and both our families live in other states. This means we spent the holidays at home, alone. Although I missed my family, specifically my 16-month-old nephew, it was a novelty to have so many days stretched out in front of us, empty except for a few seasonal activities. On Christmas we opened gifts, drank mimosas, and watched It's a Wonderful Life. At night, we had a backyard fire. It was cozy and sweet, but then I ran into a little problem. I got restless.
I don't usually get restless. There is always a dog to walk, a book to read, a project to tackle, a YMCA just up the street. But the week between Christmas and New Year's Day is different. You don't want to start any new projects right before the calendar ticks over, everything is closed or open weird hours, and even the dog would prefer to nap. Despite my love for Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing, I missed having things to do and began to long for my beloved routine. And so, on Thursday, after nearly two weeks of vacation, work from home days, and various festivities, I was grateful to head back to the office.
In case you don't know, I work full time, in the marketing department of a technology company that sells software to financial institutions. (What can I say: this newsletter doesn't pay the bills.) Monday through Friday, from roughly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can find me in my cube, attending meetings, and saying things like "Let's circle back on that," and "What's the ROI?"
Having a day job is not shocking - nearly all creative people do, because we live in a capitalist society where passions rarely pay. But here's my not-so-secret secret: I really like my job. This makes me very lucky, because while most people have to work, the vast majority of workplaces are Not Good. In the past I've dealt with shitty pay, terrible management, and toxic environments, and I'm grateful every day to work for a company with a great culture, smart colleagues, interesting work, and the opportunity to learn new things.
When I was in grad school for creative writing, I assumed that my MFA would lead to a position teaching at the college level, or a job as an editor at a publishing house, or a freelance empire until I started selling novels and living off lucrative advances. I thought accepting any job that was not in a creative field would be make me a failure, serve as proof that I'd given up. When it became clear that I was destined for marketing, I had to remind myself that I didn't get an MFA to become a teacher or an editor or a freelance writer. I got an MFA to help me write a book. As long as my day job gives me time and space to write while also treating me well, I can be happy.
It's normal, this time of year, to think about all the things we want to change, how different we want our lives to look. For creative types especially, the command to "Do what you love" and turn your art into your living can leave us feeling like we've somehow failed. But there can be joy and satisfaction in having a day job, a career unrelated to your artistic pursuits. You deserve a job* that is fulfilling, that pays fairly, the cares about you as a person, that challenges you and helps you grow. If you don't have that, I hope you get it soon. If you have that, or something close to it, I hope it never makes you feel like less of a writer, an artist, a creative, a teacher, a parent, an activist. We contain multitudes, after all. We can be all things, in time. 💛
*What you really deserve is a world that doesn't equate your value as a human with your economic output but, like all of us, I'm working with what I have. Here's to fighting for a more humane and equitable future, on and off the clock.
Relatable Reads
My Decade in Google Searches, New York Times. God, I loved this piece. It's exactly the kind of essay(?) I would absolutely bring to my students and make them write their own versions. ✍️
How "Little Women" Got Big, The New Yorker. I saw Little Women on New Year's Day with my book club (highly recommended!) and I enjoyed this deep dive into the book, Louisa May Alcott's life, and the role that marriage played (or didn't play) in her books and life. 👯♀️
Three Poems by Katie Jones in Screen Door Review, a journal that celebrates the queer literary South. Katie is one of my dearest friends, and it's always a gift to read her work! "Self-Care Feat. Impending Doom" is the most relatable, but "Cross-Ventilation" and "Carbon Sink" are not to be missed, either! 💅
Snack Break
In a twist that will surprise no one, I don't like going out for New Year's Eve. I do, however, like friends and celebrations and new beginnings and countdowns, so as a compromise we decided to host a NYE party at our house. It was very fun and also kind of exhausting (hosting is hard, plus I had to stay up until midnight!). Luckily this smörgåsbord of my favorite snacks made it all worth it.
A Tiny Challenge
Everyone knows the new year doesn't actually start until the first Monday of January, which just so happens to be tomorrow. Let's do our best to make it a good one, the kind of day where we check all our boxes, honor all our needs, and take the smallest step toward most of our goals.
See you next Sunday! 💌
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