Now what?
Since I launched Curious Type over the summer, I've realized I'm not the business shark that I thought I should be. To be honest, the thought of promoting my business and getting clients’ attention makes me feel like a total fake. I thought if I made my site look pretty, studied up on digital marketing strategy, eventually I would get some traction and ta-da! I'd be living the graphic designer’s dream of being my own boss. But now I realize that my desire for professional achievements, Instagram fame, the bigger paycheck (etc., etc.) all seem like someone else’s idea of success. Something isn't right, and I'm ready to take some risks to find out what my soul is asking for.
Let's backtrack for a second.
How I got here:
2008: Straight out of high school, loving art and destined for creative greatness, I made graphic design my college major because I knew I'd get a steady job in a growing field.
2012 (4.5 years later): Graduated with my BFA in Visual Communication and got a web design job at a small studio, where I was employed for 2 years.
2014: Became an in-house graphic designer for the Dallas Symphony, employed 2.5 years.
Add all that up - I've spent 9 YEARS pursuing graphic design. Nine. Freaking. Years! To be clear, I am proud of my work, and I love collaborating with a team to create a great product. But even at the end of a successful day, I’m missing something. I know I can’t expect a day job to fulfill all of my creative needs. That’s selfish and immature, right? But now I realize that I can’t give 100% at my day job and then give 100% to my passion projects.
So, the big news.
I’m out. I’ve quit my day job, and I’m taking all of October to explore my options. I want to do more – something different, something out of the ordinary. I know it sounds vague and ridiculous and maybe irresponsible, but I’m ready to be bold. I’m ready to think about my life and my art as one and the same.
Maybe at the end of the month I’ll find a design studio where I really fit in, and I’ll happily go back to the daily grind. Or maybe Curious Type will become my full time gig. Or maybe I’ll decide I need another month to figure it out.
But for now, all I’m going to do is create. Make new things. Learn and research. Write. Travel. Meet other creatives. And I’m going to keep talking about this burden to create, to contribute, and to grow, because I’ve realized that’s what a creative life means to me.
