Doing what you love vs. doing what you’re good at. Finding balance as a creative
Full disclaimer — I’m a writer, I even get paid to do so as a Head of Copy. But, perhaps like many writers out there, this wasn’t the path I initially started down.
Is my passion my profession?
I’ve always loved to write stories, even at a young age. My mum still has the first novel I ever wrote; a coming of age tale about a dog that lived in a house — complete with illustrations. “Pic or it didn’t happen,” you say? Ohhh, I’m well ahead of you:
It was almost as good a mother’s day gift as that time I played Mama by the Spice Girl’s on repeat for 30 minutes while dancing round her bedroom possessed by the spirit of girl power.
My childlike love of writing never left me, but, it was eclipsed by art as I grew older, which was eventually what I went to study. Being distracted by both shiny and dull things, I never finished my art studies and dropped out.
After a few years fumbling around and living a cliched life of seasons abroad and hedonistic bar work, I finally went back to education and typed my way into an editorial career. Over the past eight years, I worked hard to succeed in the publishing game, survive creative agency politics, and, find myself in-house, but that work came at a price — I forgot how to draw.
I tried to keep it up, but the brutal fact is this — I’m a better storyteller than visual artist. Words flow onto a page more naturally than my ability to colour between the lines, which meant at a time when I (thought I) needed to focus on just one thing, I neglected something I truly loved, and have only recently come to remember, still love.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs
Here’s my issue; I’m caught in a love triangle between writing — my long-term beau who feels comfortable and familiar — and drawing, who for the sake of this analogy is the mysterious bad boy who’s just out of reach.
After years of churning out commercial copy, I’ve become quite skilled at pushing through the times when I don’t love it like I used to. And, if I followed Steve’s advice — which, by the way, he didn’t because if so, he would have been a Zen teacher — there’s a danger my passions could lead me down a dead end professionally.
Let’s face it, if I wanna pay my rent, keep my pets well fed, and fund my dangerous addiction to Acne Studios, I have to capitalize on my strongest skills, but that doesn’t mean drawing doesn’t have a place in my life. Instead, I found a way of loving both — equally.
I’m in an open relationship
That’s right, drawing saved my eight-year relationship. After getting fed up with my own complaining, I decided to do something. I warmed up the hands using colouring books…
And then took the plunge and started drawing for myself. First, designing a birthday card, then returning to what I know — drawing dogs:
The incredible thing I noticed is after a night of line work and sketching; I was crazy productive at work the next day. The words seemed to flow with no issues, and I felt all the more inspired. So, while it’s no work of art, yet, I’m actually very proud of it, because instead of making excuses or ignoring my twitchy hands’ need to hold a pencil again — I did something, and that something made a difference.
So, my advice for anyone struggling with a similar situation is this; have a creative side chick. Make time for exploring what really makes you happy, because, you never know, it could save your steady relationship.
