Why I'm Leaving my Job to Pursue Art
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Roy T. Bennett
Change is never easy.
Four years ago I graduated with two degrees in hand. Two pieces of paper that were supposed to be the map for the path of my future, the career laid out before me. The work I chose to define me.
The first piece of paper declared a B.A. in Media Production, and pursuing film in California has been my life-long dream. I went on to work on several short films and stumbled into my first full-time job working in reality TV development, where I have been for the past 2.5 years. The job challenged me, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and through it I learned a lot in a relatively short amount of time. It was also stressful work and recently it became clear that it was time for me to make a change.
It’s not easy for me to say no. I have this stubborn quality where I want to prove I can do anything. Saying no feels like a defeat. But through the encouragement of friends and family, I realized that it is not defeat, it is strength. Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. And so, with much thought and consideration, I put in my notice.
Over the past several months, I have been following the budding careers of several artists my age. I know social media has a tendency to only show things in the best light, but I was inspired to dust off that other piece of paper, the other map.
It is with much excitement and anticipation, and a little bit of nervousness, that I now embark on a new adventure, following a new map. I won’t lie, not having a steady income frightens me. Maybe I won’t succeed. But maybe I will, and wouldn’t that be cool! I love creating art, and I am so excited to pursue this, whether it succeeds or fails. My love for filmmaking has not left me, I will continue to create in both of these areas. I will continue to explore and develop my skills in hopes of finding the right path. But if there is one thing that my international travels have taught me, it’s that the journey is half the fun, and getting lost can lead to some of the best memories. I plan to share my journey and process, the highs and the lows, as I pursue this new path.
To the artists out there making it happen, thank you for being an inspiration to me.
To my amazing friends and family who have supported me in my decision to make a change, thank you for your encouragement and wisdom - without it I’d be lost.
To the acquaintances who clicked onto this page and have read this far, thank you for taking an interest in my life and my work. I hope you come back, and I hope that you find something here that you can relate to, maybe something that might inspire you as well.
To those of you who have no idea who I am and might just be tuning in to my journey, it’s very nice to meet you! I would love to hear from you - what changes have you made in your life that enriched your life?
Time to step outside my comfort zone!