Events canceled, sales dropping, and creativity plummeting. For most of us writers and artists, this sounds like a typical day in 2020. We’re all still working on our craft, whatever it may be, but for some of my fellow “vendor” friends, they have had to close up shop as their work was their only means of paying the bills.
I gotta tell you, that was a hard thing to hear from one event this year. And I felt very sad for those individuals. It got me thinking about my own work and what I do. Now, if you’ve been following my blog posts, you probably already know that writing isn’t my main job. It’s something I do on the side. For the longest time, I wanted it to be a full-time thing (which I’m still striving for), but this year has really re-confirmed a valuable lesson. It’s okay to have a 9-5 to support your dreams.
This was the HARDEST lesson for me to learn. And, again with past blogs, I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. But what I haven’t mentioned is how grateful I am to have this job. I’ve been working in retail part-time for a year and recently have been promoted to a manager position for full-time work. This year has got me realizing just how lucky I am. Yes, some days are better than others, but that’s how it is in life, whether you’re working that 9-5 or working on your craft.
“So, how’s your writing going?” I get asked this question a lot. Some days I guiltily reply, “It’s slow.” (which is code for…writing? What writing? Oh yeah, I do that whole pen and paper thing.”) Then, there are other days, where I’ll be writing several paragraphs down and I’m so proud of myself.
Guys, the world we live in right now is a challenging one, to say the least, regardless of your occupation. What my rambling is trying to convey is…don’t do what I did at the beginning of all this. Be patient with yourself in what your dreams are. It’s okay if your book, painting, or composition isn’t done as quickly as the last one. I guarantee you that no one out there is counting down the seconds until your art is done (unless you have a commission due in a week and you haven’t started sketches…that’s an entirely different story and I can’t help you there). People will understand if you’re a little behind and I’m not saying that because as I write this I feel behind.
We all have lives outside of our projects and 9-5, you just have to remember to be gentle and kind with yourself. After all, your emotions will show in your work!