What realistic career path in the United States combines a love for music, art, literature, and sales? How can I find a job that gives me purpose and belonging while utilizing my unique personality and skills in a tourist town setting? How can I transition my love for fashion and passion for the greater good of humanity into a rewarding career? What degree should I pursue with my current skills to ensure a successful and fulfilling future? #CareerGoals #MusicLover #ArtEnthusiast #SalesExpert #Fashionista #Humanitarian
Content generation.
I’m serious. People react very positively to passionate content creators and many artists make a very decent living by showing off their art in social media and youtube.
You don’t need to spend money on equipment, hire an editor or anything. Just be constant and upload content daily. Show what you do. If it suites you, explain a bit so someone who enjoys but lacks knowledge can learn and appreciate the art a little bit more (I prefer it but there are many many who just show their art and nothing else, no speaking, no face, no nothing). Be authentic, don’t chase the trends – that’s what ruins it.
Success is not guaranteed, but at the same time it’s very low risk. Worth giving it a try.
Look into mutual aid
Apply for govt jobs, va jobs, county.or city govt jobs
It’s tricky because it seems like it’s more about the environment that surrounds you than the job itself, isn’t it?
I would say, if you can afford moving maybe figure out which cities have a large community of like minded people. I’m not in the US so I can’t suggest much, but I can give an example from my experience.
I’m not into techno, but I lived in Berlin for 6 months. I noticed that pretty much any job you choose in such a place will have you surrounded with people that love clubbing etc. Like, even supermarket jobs probably mean being around alt people.
What about a cruise ship job?
Look for *another* job
*edited*
Do you have a degree? (in anything)
I don’t have an answer but wish I was your friend.
Find a rich old man to take care of you in exchange for his sexual gratification.
There is a book by Julia Cameron called the Artist’s Way, and she talks a lot about breaking away from the “Starving artist” mentality. Its not a turnkey solution to your post but I recommend it.
Have you considered contract work? Something like working offshore on a cruise ship or something bao many months of the year to get your money in and then have you’re off time to do whatever the hell you want?
>At this point of my life, I’d be willing to go live and work at a resort to save money to fund my future.
There’s plenty of other types of resorts that might appeal to you. For instance, we go to this ranch resort mexico where the owner cooks barbacoa for everyone, does tequila tastings, etc… it’s not your big corporate resort but a more intimate experience. Sounds like you would fit in well at that style, you get to connect with guests more personally and get to curate special experiences for folks. I’ve seen places like that all over too, usually in pictureque areas like Sedona.
This may be tough to read but you need to grow up a little. The arts don’t make money and your job in life right now is to be an earner in your peak earning years. Pick anything in tech or engineering and focus on it. Try to cut out the excuse making. UI/UX design would be a smooth transition from your world. Earn certifications and take an entry level role somewhere and then work hard to level up.
Kicking around in retail at 32 and waiting for your big break is just loser thinking. You need to be contributing to your 401k and putting money away for a better tomorrow since it doesn’t sound like you’re happy today.
Or don’t and keep doing what you’re doing. But if you don’t make changes and take risks, you’ll receive the same outcomes you’ve been getting.
You seem like a really fun person to be around, first of all 🙂 I love people who bring a little colour in other people’s lives and you sound just like it, as someone else mentioned, I too would love to be your friend
A degree is a pretty big commitment and I think it would be tiresome to do both, a degree and working full time to pay the bills
What do you think about graphic design/ UI/UX design? You could study on your free time, built a portfolio and maybe try to do some freelancing (after a year or two). Maybe a tattoo artist course, if you’re into that. If you’re into writing, maybe you would like copywriting. I would go for something that I could learn through courses on the internet and a lot of hard work in my free time, so I could also work.
Good luck and have confidence!
It’s hard to have a different kind of mentality in our world today. I feel similarly to you, in that the environment I am in is really important, as well as being surrounded by like-minded individuals. Have you thought of running some sort of business on your own? As a small business owner, you can choose where you live and there are often many networking opportunities for entrepreneurs. For instance, my mom is a hippy dippy type and she runs a booth at a small market in my city. She makes money, gets to be creative, network and work among other creatives, etc. She doesn’t make a ton of money but she is really happy. You could run a small business doing a lot of different things. Consulting or helping with music? Mindfulness? Think about what you have to offer!
How much money do you want to make and how important is money to you? In our modern society, it’s hard to break out of that almost matrix-like thinking that we need to become more and more rich and productive. Many other cultures and countries are happy with so much less. Maybe start with making a vision board of how you’d like your life to look (I use Pinterest!) And work from there. When I do this, I find that my want for more money is actually a desire for things like security, savings, and an overall feeling of abundance. What I want financially is a lot different from some of my peers. I don’t care to make 100k+ and trade so much of my time and life for that. It really all comes down to perspective, and I know that isn’t a popular opinion for north America.
Maybe you could work at a museum. My aunt started out as a major producer at MTV but left that world behind. She’s done a lot of freelance work over the years but decided it was time to get back into steady work and she works at a museum making content now. She’s deep into her career so she’s had some very high profile projects to work on but she’s also at a major museum that attracts these high profile individuals. You could certainly work at a modest museum and hopefully make a decent career out of it. You could probably enjoy working intimately with artifacts or pieces that you are fond of. I’m no career expert nor do I know a lot about the paths museum careers have besides my aunt, but this sounds to me like it could be a nice life for you.
What a bunch of twaddle. Figure out something you’re good at and get a job.
I will tell you my little personal journey as it is a bit similar to yours in some ways. And mine is currently happening, fresh off the pot.
So today, I put in my resignation for my comfortable job with all the benefits you can ask for, working in higher education. Before that I spent 20yrs old -25 working for a lawyer, just me and the lawyer in one office. And he was a very strong personality, as am I. The past year I’ve been at my current job in higher education, I’ve been happy, love my coworkers etc. I am also currently in graduate school (I want to be a professor). I also have bipolar disorder. So that’s the background. I’ll be 27 next month. However, the past few years my mental health has been garbage, I actually was told by a doctor if I don’t make changes soon I’ll be heading down a long list of health issues..pretty close to diabetes and I have no family history. Just all the mental madness in my head I don’t eat right.
Ever since working in an office job, I completely lost my mental health. I am a hard worker and always give it my all. But I am just never ever happy, no matter the money, no matter the office setting. I realized the happiest time of my life and the only time I’m ever happy is when I’m on my feet out in the community. So I will be heading back to my tourism job I worked during undergrad. Why? Because I want to be happy. Is that all that matters? Absolutely not. You have to of course be able to financially take care of yourself. I am lucky I have a husband who is supportive both emotionally and now financially. This will also allow me to not only be happy, but to be able to take a step back focus on me and what I want to do.
I know my story isn’t exactly yours but I think it has one common denominator. We both care about what other people think, or not even that, what we think of ourselves. I think it’s important to not compare yourself to others, sounds easier said than done I know. But happiness is truly hard to come across these days, if you’re happy and you have your needs met, then do you and don’t listen to what anyone else says. Not everyone needs to be in a suit in tie slaving away their life for a fancy paycheck for that fancy house they barely see.
I wish you the best of luck on your journey. You are still young, it is not a race. Take your time.
Also if you wish to go back to school, do bachelor’s in psychology, that degree can take you anywhere.
I didn’t want to be a starving artist so I became a starving biochemist.. I am currently going back to school to learn 3d modeling. I don’t expect to be rich and even to just get a job I know I am really going to have to be well above the norm. Still I found that I need to make things and have an outlet for my creativity. I am 42 so don’t feel bad. Maybe try to work on an oil rig for a bit or one of those massive fishing boats. I got married so had quit that idea.
It might take some time to get savings together but have you considered opening your own business? It sounds like a maker space / event community space might be right up your alley. You can have music and arts, create a community and more. There are so many ways to do it that you can have what you want and still make a living. You’ll need a solid business plan, a city that will support that kind of business, and probably some like minded partners. I think you could take some business courses to find out what you need to make that a reality and go from there. The more successful spaces have a full rotation of events + mixed space (shop space, cafe, etc). You could consider including some of the other things you love from your current job as well. 🙂
Become a park ranger. Be in nature and write song after being inspired by nature.
I am an artistic type who is passionate about art and creativity in general. I work in tech sales. It pays great and my skills came from working in retail beforehand. And the work life balance is decent so I still get to be creative outside of work.
I have a friend who is also a successful tech sales executive who is also a very successful DJ (I believe his recent single was top 40 for hardstyle). He makes $300k from his sales job, and then does his music outside of work, and plays raves at night.
I know you said sales is boring when you’re not seeing something you enjoy, but I think you can look broader than selling musical instruments.
For example you could sell:
– musical equipment for concerts
– booking space for musical acts
– music advertising
– music software
– music licensing
– etc
That’s not even getting into other creative industries outside of music. Or other non-sales jobs in the music industry.
I have a friend who is a promoter for EDM concerts and raves. He makes bank, although it’s not a very consistent gig.
Point is, I still think sales is where it’s at, the question is what do you want to sell, because there are a lot of options.
You could try working at a company that does music related things. Like bandcamp, splice, or something of that sort. You’d be an expert since you already make music and the wages would be more livable. You could start with customer support and work up from there.
Not what you asked but for most money is just a means to live. Most don’t get to do what they love, are passionate about, or even good at and when they do…it often becomes like any other job with all the same drawbacks.
Repositioning your thinking of what do I do to make money so it allows me to enjoy hobbies and live is helpful.
Also narrowing your focus to NOT what do I want to do for the rest of my life but to what can I do for the next 5-12 years? Most people make four major career changes in their lifetimes.
I can’t think of anything mainstream that would address these wants, but doing what you are now plus side businesses of specialty art sales might.
Love the energy in this thread-just wanted to say hi and thank you all for bringing me nice energy in a time of big change in my life too
Find a support system . You won’t be able to do anything you want to do without one
Draw furry porn 👍
I think your creativity and attitude could transfer naturally to team-project based careers with a creative spin. I could see you doing well with companies that appeal to you in fields like entertainment/events, food & bev and non-profit as they can often partner with the arts, often have an outreach aspect to them, and certainly bring people together. Degree wise, i could see business with a marketing specialization being a really useful connector for your current skills to job openings. graphic design and UI skills would help too.
Please, don’t take this the wrong way but a thought that came to mind was work for a circus. Or festivals. Do what makes you happy. Have you considered playing your music in a busy shopping area? Would you consider making CDs of your music to sell while playing on a street corner? You do seem like a very interesting person. Maybe you can create a YouTube channel talking about whatever interests you or sharing your music. Makes me think about having your own talk show. If any of this peaks your interest, try it and see where it goes. I know you said you don’t want a music career but while you are trying to figure out what to do for your next job, I would continue doing those things because your next job might not make you as happy as your current job.
As far as meeting like-minded people, I would try to find clubs/groups/associations – either online or in-person that you can join. I, myself, have come across new groups on instagram that I don’t think I would ever thought to look up. If your interests are art, music, pop culture, literature, you can look into events at the nearest big city. There are music conventions, book fairs, music festivals…
Check out architecture technology at a community college near you. It’s a pretty simple 2-year school program to get you to work next to an architect in a world of design. It’s a very left leaning business world. (Plus it immediately pays well).
Worked for me, and there’s plenty of people your age starting it.