As an individual working in the creative industry, I know first-hand how difficult it is for others ( especially those of the baby boomer generation ) to understand what the hell I do. Furthermore, they often struggle to understand how creative individuals can succeed in such a "non-traditional" ( the nice way of saying "silly" ) career.
I work in a creative branch of a large corporation, so the success of my work is tracked more traditionally than that of other creatives. I am fortunate enough to work regular hours, have a 401k, and opt in to a pretty kick-ass healthcare plan. Not all creatives have this luxury, but I bet if you asked the majority of them about these benefits they'd tell you they're doing just fine. They'd probably also tell you they like what they do.
A story on the NY Times caught my eye this morning. It was written by a dad whose 25-year-old son is in a band. The dad's friends often ask about his son's success, concerned about his non-traditional lifestyle and whether or not he's succeeding.
I thought the dad's response was perfect. He's beginning to understand that though his son may be taking a risky route, the reward is huge. Life is about living in the now and chasing your dreams.
Max gets up when he likes and does what he loves. He avoids most of the things that most of us numerically successful people complain about all the time: racing from one unreasonable deadline to the next, sitting in unproductive meetings and watching simple things made complicated by committees. And he doesn’t want for much, largely because he’s smart enough to know that the only way to be rich is to want little.
Regardless as to if you're working in the creative industry, this is a great read for people young and old. Follow your dreams, take risks, and don't ever let numbers and money hold you back from doing something you love.
Read the full story here.
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