For my whole life I have believed that my dream job is to be an author. A job where I am able to put the stories that I have in my mind on paper. Writing has always been just a hobby for me though, something that I do in my free time to make the days seem brighter and more creative. I never imagined I could be a published author one day. I also never thought I would be writing for different organizations where people other than my mom and friends would be reading my work. It’s a dream come true. Yet, like any dream, you have to wake up eventually. You may be in a place where writing, or really any creative form, is a passion that you would love to turn into a profession. There are questions I wish I asked myself before making the decision to make writing more than a hobby. There are no right answers, but be prepared to reflect and then decide for yourself if you want to turn your creative dream into a reality.
Will this affect your creative process?
A big reason why I wish I would have allowed myself to take on less writing opportunities is the fact that they had a huge impact on my creative process. I’m sure you have read a good book and were really looking forward to the sequel, but once you began to read you realized the author’s writing skill and passion had changed. This could have been the effect of strict deadlines, pressure, and writer’s block. On a brighter note, there are authors who have multiple hit books because they thrive under the pressure! Or they take time for themselves to recharge, then later work on their next big project.
Make sure you are willing to give up those certain privileges that come with only being creative for yourself. There will be more pressure, but it could all be worth it to share your creative expertise with the world.
Are you ready for the world to see your work?
This is an important question to ask yourself. You don’t have to work for the world, but you do have to be comfortable with others seeing your creative pieces. Once they’re out there they are open to receiving criticism from anyone and everyone. This may be a scary thought, but there have been people who have told me that my work touched their hearts and made them cry. These are the compliments I will remember forever. The fact that your work can affect others on a deep emotional level could be worth the chance of criticism.
Can you handle being rejected?
There will be times in your creative journey where your work may not be up to the standards of who you are submitting to, which will most likely lead to rejection. Although some rejections are less justified than others, it will be a part of the publishing process. This means that you need to learn how to handle rejection, no matter how much time or effort you put into a piece. It can be brutal. The thought that your work is not good enough, or that it needs to be completely changed, is hard to cope with sometimes. In the end, you can always step away from a place that does not value your creative skills. If you have been rejected from somewhere then another place will gladly take your work. The great thing about working in the creative field is that there are not only shut doors, you just find another open one.
Even though the creative experience is different for everyone, these basic questions can give you an idea of how committed you are to making your dream into a reality. It’s ok to answer these questions negatively and keep your work to yourself! There’s no problem with wanting to keep your hobbies behind closed doors. If you decide that you want to share your creative passions, like me, then I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.