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As far as I can remember, I have always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. Around 7 or 8 years old, I told my parents I wanted to be an actress. There wasn’t a moment of the day that my eyes weren’t glued to the television watching my favorite television shows on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel, wishing that I could be all of the characters that I saw before me.
As a consequence, my parents got me into a few acting classes and camps to help me foster that dream. It wasn’t long before I realized that I was far too shy (which was more like social anxiety) to be an actress. The idea of unwarranted attention outside of a soundstage added to my concern (sometimes, I think that maybe that thought process is diluted in an overachieving mentality. Because in reality, how big was I expecting to become to the point that TMZ would want to stop heaven and earth from harassing me and taking my picture? The answer? Pretty damn huge! )
Flash forward to my college years, and that dream of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry has shifted to in-front of the screen to behind the scenes. I had (have) dreams of becoming a screenwriter and film director (and this year, I’m determined to be more pro-active in that pursuit). However, the industry is very unconventional, unpredictable (much like any industry, but more so in my opinion) and doesn’t necessarily offer a whole lot of stability when you first start.
So why in the world would I pursue a career in spite of what I know about the complexities of the industry? Well, it’s quite simple:
- It’s A Natural Gift
I had a hunch that I was a great writer after I inadvertently won a competition among all the 5th graders to write an essay on drug prevention. After hearing that one winner would be chosen from each class (4 total) to recite their speech in front of the entire 5th grade, I was already high with anxiety and knew that I would do whatever it took not to win the competition. However, there must’ve been a magical genie in my midst that sprinkled my paper with magic dust to make my essay outshine the rest of my classmates. When the police officer that was assigned to teach us drug prevention (through the D.A.R.E. program) came back to announce the winner, I repeatedly prayed under my breath that it wasn’t me. I wasted my breath because she called my name, and the whole class looked back at me like I had egg on my face (followed by faint applause). I ended up reciting my essay and winning some cool gifts with a stuffed panda bear I still have to this day (as a souvenir). It wasn’t until I was 13 that I revisited this “gift” and started to take myself seriously at being a writer. And I realized, “Hey, I’m pretty good at this thing!”
2. There are stories that must be told
I’d love to say my life was full of wonder and excitement, but honestly, the stories that are continually playing inside my head day to day are much more exciting. I get a kick out of living vicariously through the characters that manifest in my mind and seeing how their lives carryout. And truthfully, these stories need to be told because they represent everyday people. It’s simple as that.
3. I love Storytelling
As aforementioned, I love storytelling, I always have, and I always will. Cheers to your passion for meeting your career choice.
I’ve been out of college now for almost a year, and I have to say that I was facing post-grad blues BEFORE I graduated. I stressed and spread myself thin to do and be all that I could so that I wouldn’t end up jobless after graduation. The thrill of getting your degree is fantastic, but it’s also fleeting. And the most common question that anyone wants to know is, “So, what’s next?” Of course, in my mind, that’s a silly question. Getting a job is what’s next! We need to work to eat, live, and survive. But sometimes that is much easier said than done. I thought I was alone in my pursuit of a job. But I realize how many people were being faced with the endless hunt for the “dream job” or just settling for a good-paying job with benefits and vacation time. And to top it off, there’s so many of us that end with the result of “unfortunately, you aren’t qualified for this job” or just never hearing from the potential employer again.
However, there is only one career that I’ve witnessed, that ends with getting a job almost right out the gate. One that offers benefits, great pay, and luxurious that some of us would dream of (vacation, anyone?): A registered nurse. I have a friend who went to school for nursing and now has a job working at a hospital. I don’t pretend to know all the details of her life and doubt that it’s perfect, but it’s certainly more stable than mine, due to the stability of having a job to report to every day.
My best friend’s girlfriend is also a nurse, and every time he mentions her, she’s either gone on a vacation, out to dinner with friends or doing something that equates to the money she’s making.
Now, I’m aware that there was some sacrifice to get there. No one magically ends up with the career of their dreams or makes the money they wish to make (and honestly, nurses work incredibly long shifts). But if I’d majored in something more practical like nursing, perhaps I’d already be finished with school and working right now. I’d be making good money, have a career that’s worthy of talking about and be able to take myself on well-deserved vacations. Most of all, I’d have secured medical insurance that I could afford.
But, instead, I chose a career that meets my passion, and now I’m sitting here ironically using that passion and gift to write an article about partial regret in my career choice. The reality is, I’m nearly 28 years old, a post-grad who’s trying a day at a time with little to show yet. A part of me is okay with that, and the other part wishes to go into a time machine and take on a career that could offer me a high paying job tomorrow.
Despite these feelings and current circumstances, I know one thing’s for sure. If I’d become a nurse, I wouldn’t be happy or fulfilled in the same way I would, doing what I’m gifted to do as a storyteller. Sure it’d offer me financial security, stability and I’d be independent, living on my own, supporting myself. But instead, I’ve decided to be crazy enough to go after what I want to do, despite negative feedback, and be bold in doing so, even though I’m broke, living at home taking advantage of every resource to hone my craft and prove that I belong in an industry that offers more rejections than approval.
I question myself from time to time because I wonder, “why not just take a job that offers all your wants and needs right now? Why torture yourself with waiting, chasing what seems to be a pipe dream to most on the outside, refusing to take just anything?” But then I remember something about myself. I believe in integrity in whatever I do. If I go along, to get along and settle, then I’m not true to myself. Although that sounds good, it’s an attribute I find very annoying about myself sometimes. But hey, it’s how I was made, so I guess I have no choice but to embrace it, deal with it, and receive my reward for my craziness one day.
I hope that whatever you want to pursue, whatever your dream is, be crazy enough to go after it anyway, no matter how long it takes to get there. Because at the end of the day you’re living for yourself, not for others or popular opinion. Who knows, you might break barriers in your own career field one day that inspire others to do the same. After all, there’s a reason that no one in the world has the same exact fingerprint.
Believe in your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.
Walt Disney
