Comments on yes and yes: Who I Am vs. What I Do

Sarah, Hello. I'm a producer in New York, and ...

2009-11-25T14:35:56.527-06:00

Sarah,
Hello. I'm a producer in New York, and am contacting you after coming across your Blog - which is really interesting.
I'm working on a great project - a series of short films for the Web and, maybe, TV - and thought you might be an ideal person to interview.
The project - YOUR MONEY STORY - will explore the financial pressures on young people in America, and how Gen-Y thinks and feels about money. Created by an award-winning production company (with an Academy Award and Emmys to its name) the project will feature a dozen stories on topics including creative saving & spending, real estate regrets etc. We're looking for people who can share candidly - we want the good, the bad, even the humorous!
For more detailed information about the project and its producer, check us out online at:
http://www.yourmoneystory.net
If you're interested and think you have a story to tell I'd love to hear more, and invite you to e-mail us at:
mystory@thomaslennonfilms.com
Hope to hear from you! (if not, please pass the link on to any friends your think might be interested)
Cheers & a happy holiday week,
Molly

As a teacher I struggle with this concept sometime...

2009-11-16T14:11:38.160-06:00

As a teacher I struggle with this concept sometimes. I teach high school kids and I am meant to be a stand up, moral member of the community and somedays I feel that is what I am. But other days I'm a 26 year old boy who wants to play paint ball and go to the pub and teacher in just my job. It does confuse me every now and then. I don't know. I think it also comes down to work/life balance. I mean at the end of the day teaching in just a job. Like any other job and I guess I have to remeber that.

This was JUST what I needed to hear. Thankyou so m...

2009-11-12T16:28:26.085-06:00

This was JUST what I needed to hear. Thankyou so much!
Pefect article.. I can absolutely relate!

I think it is important to remember that when you ...

2009-11-12T10:31:15.940-06:00

I think it is important to remember that when you are working the arts/creative industry that sometimes you need a little help and that you should view this extra job as a stepping stone to your ultimate destination and tool to fulfill your dreams. So chin up :)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with suppleme...

2009-11-11T21:16:10.642-06:00

There's absolutely nothing wrong with supplementing your writing income with a steady "day job." Plenty of great writers have done it. To name just a few examples:

> Salman Rushdie wrote advertising copy.

> Woody Guthrie painted window signs and worked in a drugstore.

> J.D. Salinger hacked carcasses in a meat-packing factory.

> Sylvia Plath typed medical notes in a psychiatric clinic.

> William Faulkner waited tables.

> Franz Kafka worked at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute.

> Octavia Butler endured countless declarations of "we're not interested" as a telemarketer.

> Diablo Cody was a stripper.

> Douglas Adams cleaned chicken coops.

The truth is, non-literary gigs don't make you a failed writer ... they make you a BETTER writer. Think how much better you'll be able to convey complex emotions and moral ambiguity with a couple of demeaning joe jobs under your belt? ;)

Sarah, this was a wonderful read! I saw the comme...

2009-11-11T20:50:59.176-06:00

Sarah, this was a wonderful read! I saw the comment you posted on my blog, which made my day knowing that someone I hadn't met found value in what I had to say. Now I find myself reading this blog and am overwhelmed with how much I want to return the "favor". It's as though you have granted us all permission to be ourselves and reassured us that everything will be okay even if our dreams don't pan out as expected. I'm 27 and have held a variety of jobs in a variety of fields. I never expected to be a work-at-home mom strongly considering homeschooling my child. And yet...here I am, loving my life and regularly having to remind myself that it's okay not to have a career that uses my degree. That it's okay not to have a career, even! It's tough because my mother and sister are hardcore career-oriented women who slave away at work. I have a 24/7 job with extra work as I find it, but I feel judged by them nonetheless--which I suppose is only fair as I judge them as well.

Keep on writing! :)

I work in a supermarket four days a week, but I...

2009-11-11T20:10:13.565-06:00

I work in a supermarket four days a week, but I'm also trying to be a photographer, which is why I only work part-time. I'm going back to school next year to finish off my bachelors degree (the one that I started 7 years ago!).

I do feel like a failure, especially when customers ask me what "someone like me" (whatever THAT means!) is doing working in a supermarket.

I did have one woman the other day compliment me, though, saying that we need MORE "people like me" working in supermarkets. That's a pretty backhanded compliment, since none of my colleagues are moorons..

It's not so much that I enjoy my job, it's more that I want to be the best at whatever it is I do, even if all I do is slice meat and stack shelves. So I try to be educated about the products I sell, and I know what different ingredients are for and how they can be used.. and I know stuff about vegan food and additives and which hams aren't suitable for coeliacs.

So I've rambled on a bit here, but my point is, I may "only" be a supermarket deli worker, but I'm a damn good one. And whether you make coffee, or write books, you should always try to be the best at whatever it is you do.

When CDH and I were in Amman, Jordan, recently, we...

2009-11-11T17:53:39.282-06:00

When CDH and I were in Amman, Jordan, recently, we happened to be picked up by an amazing taxi driver. He'd gone to business school, got his masters, worked for a banking firm, and hated it. So he quit his job and drives taxis for a living.

Being driven by him wasn't like taking a taxi ride, it was meeting a friend. He drove us all over the city, showed us amazing treasures, took our pictures, chatted non-stop for 3 hours, and brought us sweets and coffee and water.

Sometimes, I think, what really, truly matters is not what the specific task you're doing, but how doing that task makes you feel and connect with other human beings. Our taxi driver got more of a kick from making our sightseeing around Amman memorable then he did from managing our investments.

I work for a charity organisation - making braille and large print books for the blind, and while I didn't exactly want a day job where I sat in front of a computer all day (I'm an archaeologist by trade), I love the job and could easily make braille books for the rest of my life, because of how amazing it feels to send off a book to someone who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to read it. I feel needed by people, appreciated, and like something I do actually makes a difference in the world. I never had that from archaeology, even though I'd dreamed about being an archaeologist since I was seven years old.

An amazing article, Sarah.

Thanks Sarah, this really really means a lot. I...

2009-11-11T17:25:01.126-06:00

Thanks Sarah, this really really means a lot. I'm literally going to finish my masters at a prestigious university (which was my goal) in a few weeks, and it's looking like I'll be making coffee or selling t-shirts for at least the next few months (which was not my goal) while I look for something that actually uses my degree. The thought is pretty confronting, but you've just made it a lot easier to deal with.

Thank you so much for this. I'm another 24 yea...

2009-11-11T15:34:35.886-06:00

Thank you so much for this. I'm another 24 year old who feels the same way. (I have 2 science degrees, but am trying to set up my own design/illustration business, and am doing a random assortment of odd jobs in the meantime.)

Amazing! He/She rocks. Gotta love a carpenter. I&...

2009-11-11T15:21:17.783-06:00

Amazing! He/She rocks. Gotta love a carpenter.
I've such respect for people who change careers, maybe not always through choice -like our taxidriver friend, but who totally make the most of their new one.
Someone told me the secret to happiness is feeling in control of your life. I think that's true.

Abu, what a fascinating blog, that's for the l...

2009-11-11T15:06:06.170-06:00

Abu, what a fascinating blog, that's for the link! I have such respect for people who are able to walk away from careers that don't suit or inspire them, regardless of the money or training that went into said career. I had a friend in New Zealand who gave up a career in law to become a carpenter. Dead sexy, right?!

Ouch... I've struggled with this so much...but...

2009-11-11T14:56:12.452-06:00

Ouch...
I've struggled with this so much...but wow what a great piece and the comments rock too!
I'm happy now as a photographer / teacher..and even though I earn more from teaching now than freelance work...I'm not as plagued as I once was by that awful saying "those who can- do, those who can't - teach."
I get to do lots of fun creative photography work and not worry about what I'll earn from it...

We all grow up being asked 'what do you want to be?

Maybe all this turmoil could have been bypassed if we'd been asked two questions-
1)what do you want to be?
2) how are you gonna make money?

Obviously that's a bit ridiculous you can't be grilling poor little tots like that....but what's equally ridiculous is the bashing we give ourselves over answering these questions as adults..

Thank you soooooo much for posting this Sara.

Oh and check out this guys blog:
http://taxidiary.blogspot.com/

He's a taxi driver who has a PHD and his blog is just like this one- filed under inspiration in my reader.

This is a great post. I wrote about it today on my...

2009-11-11T14:22:20.858-06:00

This is a great post. I wrote about it today on my blog: http://sevendamesaweek.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-i-do-who-i-am.html

Sarah, this is the best post ever--so inspiring fo...

2009-11-11T13:59:46.778-06:00

Sarah, this is the best post ever--so inspiring for so many people, especially in this economy like a few other readers said. And as always I'm gaining a lot of great insights from your commenters too--all these ladies are so smart and savvy! Love it! :)

sarah - thanks so much for helping put things into...

2009-11-11T13:39:11.657-06:00

sarah - thanks so much for helping put things into perspective! i'm working as a buyer for a small retail store right now, even though i would love to be supporting myself as an artist. i have made some big jumps in advancing towards my art goals (like actually building a website, doing more than one show a year). but i'm still having a hard time. partially because when i took this day job, i told myself it would be temporary - and 5 years later, i'm still here. i'm trying to look at the bright side & gain as much knowledge as i can about running my own business. but, sometimes, i feel like i should be somewhere else right now. thanks for your post - it was encouraging & helped keep me looking in a positive direction.

Towely, Thanks so mcuh! Gosh - what a great compl...

2009-11-11T13:08:55.441-06:00

Towely,
Thanks so mcuh! Gosh - what a great compliment! :)

I go in-between. I'm a biologist, and a big pa...

2009-11-11T12:43:34.992-06:00

I go in-between. I'm a biologist, and a big part of me is also a LEAVE WORK AT WORK person.

I really like my job and love my coworkers, but at the same time it doesn't define me. Most of my friends don't know what I do and I'm good with that. They know me as an active/silly/crafty person that has a job. That seems to be enough.

To the question writer: You're still pretty young and still finding your way to WHO YOU ARE. Where you work at 24 doesn't define you (I took money at a the door of a club at 24), its just what gives you a paycheck. For now. Good luck!
-b-

Hi Sarah, I currently really love my job (despit...

2009-11-11T12:30:41.976-06:00

Hi Sarah,

I currently really love my job (despite not being in my dream field per say) and going back to school is many years away so I am definitely looking forward to when this all comes to a head for me. Yeah not really.

Anyway I just wanted to pay you a weird compliment. One of my oldest and dearest friends moved away a couple years ago, it's not that far and we do still talk and see each other but I miss her still.

There is something in the tone of your writing that makes me think of her every time I come here. And it always reminds me not to take the friendship for granted and always always to put in the effort to make sure that no matter how far apart we may be we still remain close.

So thank you for that.

Hadley

p.s. I love your blog for all the other reasons listed above too.

Thanks so much for this! Again, blah, blah, perfec...

2009-11-11T11:43:56.234-06:00

Thanks so much for this! Again, blah, blah, perfect timing...
I just finished two masters degrees back-to-back and graduated to find zero job prospects. So, a cross-country move later, I'm back to living with my parents for the first time in a decade. I'm still introducing myself as an adoption social worker- even though I don't have a current gig as one. That's my identity though, it's what I've been doing and working towards for the past seven years and it takes far more than a job to strip me of it.
Thanks for the reminder and thanks for shining a light on all of us who are currently in this (temporary) slump.

Thanks so much for writing this post. I have been...

2009-11-11T10:55:26.738-06:00

Thanks so much for writing this post. I have been working in an entry-level job for longer than I had planned until I figured out what I wanted to do and how to get there. I hated saying my title because every time I vocalized it, I felt like a loser and that I was letting myself down, not realizing my dreams, yadda yadda yadda. I've come to the realization that I'm not just what I do, but what I'm going to be doing (as far as a career goes) and what else I do (outside of work!)

Great advice for those of us in transition or who want to make a change.

This is such an awesome post. I've just recen...

2009-11-11T10:18:32.489-06:00

This is such an awesome post. I've just recently finished my master's in Library Science, and I've been having trouble accepting the identity of Librarian when there's so many other areas I'm interested in as well. I'm a librarian, but I'm also a blogger, a seamstress, a knitter, and a style-maven. I can be all these things, and that's okay.

I can totally relate to this because right now, I&...

2009-11-11T10:17:59.755-06:00

I can totally relate to this because right now, I'm a Junior English/Journalism major in college, and when I'm home, I waitress at the restaurant portion of the local yacht club. You wouldn't believe-- or you would because you've basically lived the same thing-- how rude people can be because they assume you must be some kind of failure or drop-out because you're serving them martinis and steak in a stained black button-down. I've gotten some really condescending remarks, though I can't remember specifically what they were. I often get "so is this what you DO? Or are you in school?" and even though people might not mean to sound-- frankly-- like big, flaming douchebags... well, that's what they sound like. So what if this were my full-time job? I'm 20 years old, and while your child is probably making $8.75 an hour at some retail store, I regularly pull in over 100 on a Saturday night for five hours of work (which, FYI, douche, is over $20 an hour). It's just insulting that people feel like if you're doing a menial task, you're either a failure or you MUST be a student. It's really aggravating, but when your job is to serve people (read: suck up to them), you meet a lot of nasty people. Of course, I've also talked to many kind, gracious customers, but it's those bad ones that haunt you when you're tossing and turning at night over where your life is headed.

A fabulous post and I think it's applicable to...

2009-11-11T10:09:14.258-06:00

A fabulous post and I think it's applicable to so many of us right now (obviously, by looking at other comments). This was such a boost for me... thanks Sarah :)

This is one of those posts that I agree with so co...

2009-11-11T09:09:51.988-06:00

This is one of those posts that I agree with so completely, I almost don't know what to say. I think about what to do with my life/career so hard sometimes it makes my head hurt! I'm about to quit my 9-5 because it's, ya know, destroying my SOUL (ha), but am worried about taking on a job at a coffee chop, or retail, because what if someone saw me?? But even tho I'm worried, I'm still going to do it! Who cares what they think? Thanks for this post!