Pep Talk for Creative Souls in Uncreative Jobs

A big, big thank you to Heather Astorga from Don’t Make Me Choose for taking the time to write this post for you. Be sure to check out Heather’s blog. She’s got some great stuff you won’t want to miss out on!

For those, like myself, whose passions don’t fit onto a business card, a 9-5 that doesn’t include a paintbrush, typewriter, or spotlight can be a discouraging reality.

For me, instead of focusing on all of the imaginative offerings I brought into the workplace, initially, I kept sight of the bigger (less optimistic) picture—I wasn’t doing what I wanted to be doing and what I wanted to be doing had to be crammed into my short window of out of office hours. It drove me bonkers!

Instead of getting frustrated with yourself for bringing home the bacon by inartistic means, spend time finding ways to incorporate creativity into your daily routine.

The answer was not to leave my job to be “the artist” but more a different approach towards how I processed my current situation. I acknowledged the fact that whether or not a passion was directly part of my business title did not mean that it wasn’t a part of me and I made a conscious decision to work with the hours I was given.

If you strive to be an actor or actress but there is no spotlight in your kitchen conference room, use your passion for acting to understand body language, tone, and empathy. If you’re an artist typing up reports and wishing for the paint set, take notice of the colors and textures around you, decorate your cube, write with a jazzy pen, and use your creative approach to life to think outside of the box and bring new ideas to the table. Although a corporate environment may feel like the last place an artist should be—us creative folk are truly essential!

Since living the artistic life you want, title-wise, does not (usually) happen over night, it’s important to make your situation work in order to keep your mind active and the creative juices flowing. An artist is a description of the soul and this has nothing to do with who ever signs your paychecks or the words that get squished onto your business card.

The skills that you uncover and embrace as an artist live fluidly in your day-to-day. Take time to notice what’s around you and all of the beautiful artistic idiosyncrasies you bring to the table and no matter what your situation, you will find the beauty and creativity in life which will only lead you to great things.