Something I've been also thinking a lot about is how most cool creatives with cool day jobs, like magazine editors, writers, directors, pour hours of their time and most of their efforts into indie projects for small audiences that are super high in their artistic value but don't pay much and then make an actual living from sponsored posts and commercial jobs. Like, no one makes money directly from their favorite projects and yet, these are the projects that affect status and indirectly bring money. Such a mindfuck when trying to prioritize opportunities, etc. ughhh
yeah, in some way i must imagine it’s freeing to not have to commercialize the projects you find the most cool / rewarding but it’s also sad that those projects aren’t getting the same degree of funding. most of the novelists i know have some sort of day job to keep them afloat between books!
Great piece— it reminds me of a funny saying that my friend possibly misremembered but I find actually extremely profound lol “the prize for winning the pie eating contest is more pie”
I watched the first few episodes of The Studio the other night and was simultaneously: in love, stressed out, and spiraling out. A few of the topics you mentioned came up for me big time, and I kept thinking about how capitalism kept "winning" (I guess? Are there winners?). Looking forward to continuing to watch while contemplating some more of these topics you brought up.
Thank you for reading! Yes, I am wondering when (and if) the “Kool Aid Man” movie plot is coming back around and we get to see if Remick chooses art over capital. But so far, every episode feels very stand alone. I’m loving it though!
YES, wondering the same! That scene at Theron's party with Martin Scorsese stuck with me HARD, I think I've thought about it a few times a day since watching that episode. I also feel like Remick's inability to directly deal with the "problems" that come up plays to the internal struggles he has as he grapples with capitalism vs. creativity, but that could just be him as person, you know? Either way, thanks for the awesome read! Have a great Sunday.
i have been thinking about this tooic a lot as a college senior navigating my first job hunt. just sharing my thoughts but ive somewhat concluded that while doing creative work i am passionate about is incredibly important to me, it doesn't have to be my main source of income.
not only is it just difficult to derive income from truly unbarred creativity but monetizing your passion can make you lose your connection with it. its tough work, you gotta market it, strategize, etc. and treat your creativity like a business.
i guess what i want most out of a day job is control. the thought of working a dead end, lonely 9-5 for the rest of my life is absolutely terrifying. good coworkers and company culture, a feeling of competence and autonomy over my work, a feeling that i am contributing to the greater good of society... that's what i need. i don't need to necessarily be following my Passion through the function of the job.
thank you for reading and sharing your experience :) i think having to involve commercial decisions within creativity is hard because you ultimately could be compromising on both variables, 1/ delivering business objectives and 2/ living up to your artistic ambitions. it is possible to do both but it's very, very hard.
the feeling of having your day job just be a job and not tied to your intrinsic value is very very healthy and makes the work - on the job and outside of it - better.
I’m 25 and going through some semi-big career changes. I work in politics, which has been my passion for a decade, but I’m leaving the public sector in DC to go work for a private sector PR firm in New York—ie not changing industries, but doing something very different within that industry. I didn’t imagine this pivot even a few months ago and I never could have imagined not working directly for voters. And while the decision was the product of simultaneously good and bad timing given November’s atrocious election results (which I wrote a recent piece on if anyone’s interested!), ultimately it takes me to NYC and thus closer to what I really wanna do deep down… which is to be a creative writer.
It’s difficult to break out of the expectations you’ve set for yourself for so long (in my case, getting a job in the White House one day) to do something that feels so not-that and extra-career-driven because the job market commands it (in my case, consulting for blah blah clients). But it’s also kinda neat that it might be the shock to my system that pulls me away from the dream I thought I wanted and towards the one I actually wanted all along. One step backward, two steps forward!
this is super relatable, ollie — i think what we are moving towards is a world of many careers and interests and those who are pivot and be nimble rather than staying in something that might not serve them are gonna end well better off for it. what i will say is that you’ll slowly see that everything you’ve accumulated, linear or or not, will be useful wherever you end up! best of luck in NYC :)
I haven’t seen The Studio, but I’ll add it to my list. Reluctantly, because the last thing I need right now is more discouragement. Still, I really like meta stuff, so I can’t resist. :)
The phrase “the withholding of critical feedback” in your text is what pulled me in. Lately, I’ve started to think that holding back might actually be the smartest approach in my relationships with editors—a way to keep my options open and my work in motion. Mainly because no one ever asks what I think. Maybe it’s naive to expect someone to say, “How can I do my job better?” But that’s something I ask myself (and others) all the time. I believe I’ve been a better editor than some I’ve worked with, but getting heard or recognized has been tough. So now, I just play the game: act the part, wait to be asked, and even then, only share what ChatGPT might flag as polite. And yeah, that makes me feel bad. I’m so nice, it makes me feel bad. Terrible.
Something I've been also thinking a lot about is how most cool creatives with cool day jobs, like magazine editors, writers, directors, pour hours of their time and most of their efforts into indie projects for small audiences that are super high in their artistic value but don't pay much and then make an actual living from sponsored posts and commercial jobs. Like, no one makes money directly from their favorite projects and yet, these are the projects that affect status and indirectly bring money. Such a mindfuck when trying to prioritize opportunities, etc. ughhh
yeah, in some way i must imagine it’s freeing to not have to commercialize the projects you find the most cool / rewarding but it’s also sad that those projects aren’t getting the same degree of funding. most of the novelists i know have some sort of day job to keep them afloat between books!
Great piece— it reminds me of a funny saying that my friend possibly misremembered but I find actually extremely profound lol “the prize for winning the pie eating contest is more pie”
I watched the first few episodes of The Studio the other night and was simultaneously: in love, stressed out, and spiraling out. A few of the topics you mentioned came up for me big time, and I kept thinking about how capitalism kept "winning" (I guess? Are there winners?). Looking forward to continuing to watch while contemplating some more of these topics you brought up.
Thank you for reading! Yes, I am wondering when (and if) the “Kool Aid Man” movie plot is coming back around and we get to see if Remick chooses art over capital. But so far, every episode feels very stand alone. I’m loving it though!
YES, wondering the same! That scene at Theron's party with Martin Scorsese stuck with me HARD, I think I've thought about it a few times a day since watching that episode. I also feel like Remick's inability to directly deal with the "problems" that come up plays to the internal struggles he has as he grapples with capitalism vs. creativity, but that could just be him as person, you know? Either way, thanks for the awesome read! Have a great Sunday.
i have been thinking about this tooic a lot as a college senior navigating my first job hunt. just sharing my thoughts but ive somewhat concluded that while doing creative work i am passionate about is incredibly important to me, it doesn't have to be my main source of income.
not only is it just difficult to derive income from truly unbarred creativity but monetizing your passion can make you lose your connection with it. its tough work, you gotta market it, strategize, etc. and treat your creativity like a business.
i guess what i want most out of a day job is control. the thought of working a dead end, lonely 9-5 for the rest of my life is absolutely terrifying. good coworkers and company culture, a feeling of competence and autonomy over my work, a feeling that i am contributing to the greater good of society... that's what i need. i don't need to necessarily be following my Passion through the function of the job.
thank you for reading and sharing your experience :) i think having to involve commercial decisions within creativity is hard because you ultimately could be compromising on both variables, 1/ delivering business objectives and 2/ living up to your artistic ambitions. it is possible to do both but it's very, very hard.
the feeling of having your day job just be a job and not tied to your intrinsic value is very very healthy and makes the work - on the job and outside of it - better.
I love this. The way you wrote about all of these shows that are cultural touchstones and connected it at the end to the hustle- gorgeous.
ahhh thanks so much 😀😀
Brendon, YES. Feeling very seen by your writing (what else is new)
thank youuuuu katie 🤍🤞🏿
I’m 25 and going through some semi-big career changes. I work in politics, which has been my passion for a decade, but I’m leaving the public sector in DC to go work for a private sector PR firm in New York—ie not changing industries, but doing something very different within that industry. I didn’t imagine this pivot even a few months ago and I never could have imagined not working directly for voters. And while the decision was the product of simultaneously good and bad timing given November’s atrocious election results (which I wrote a recent piece on if anyone’s interested!), ultimately it takes me to NYC and thus closer to what I really wanna do deep down… which is to be a creative writer.
It’s difficult to break out of the expectations you’ve set for yourself for so long (in my case, getting a job in the White House one day) to do something that feels so not-that and extra-career-driven because the job market commands it (in my case, consulting for blah blah clients). But it’s also kinda neat that it might be the shock to my system that pulls me away from the dream I thought I wanted and towards the one I actually wanted all along. One step backward, two steps forward!
this is super relatable, ollie — i think what we are moving towards is a world of many careers and interests and those who are pivot and be nimble rather than staying in something that might not serve them are gonna end well better off for it. what i will say is that you’ll slowly see that everything you’ve accumulated, linear or or not, will be useful wherever you end up! best of luck in NYC :)
Thank you so much!!
I haven’t seen The Studio, but I’ll add it to my list. Reluctantly, because the last thing I need right now is more discouragement. Still, I really like meta stuff, so I can’t resist. :)
The phrase “the withholding of critical feedback” in your text is what pulled me in. Lately, I’ve started to think that holding back might actually be the smartest approach in my relationships with editors—a way to keep my options open and my work in motion. Mainly because no one ever asks what I think. Maybe it’s naive to expect someone to say, “How can I do my job better?” But that’s something I ask myself (and others) all the time. I believe I’ve been a better editor than some I’ve worked with, but getting heard or recognized has been tough. So now, I just play the game: act the part, wait to be asked, and even then, only share what ChatGPT might flag as polite. And yeah, that makes me feel bad. I’m so nice, it makes me feel bad. Terrible.