This is a great post Erin! I’m curious if you find the creative work as a designer to be pulling from the well you’re trying to give space to fill (as opposed to a day job that isn’t creative in nature) or if you feel like it’s a different muscle and doesn’t impact your writing well.
Yes to this! When I'm in good writing mode, I've found that I tend to get roughly the same output whether I've been able to write full time or had a job. I've found other things impact output a lot more than day job.
And this all reminds me very much of Big Magic, and the part where Elisabeth Gilbert talks about how we should tend to our creativity and work to support IT, rather than demanding it support us.
Yes, to all of this. I’m like you in that I don’t write well when I’m stressed about money (and lots of other things, honestly). I’ve been a full-time 911 dispatcher since 2001. While there are days I get frustrated about not being able to spend all of my time focused on my writing and publishing, I fully recognize that my job security, steady pay, and benefits have provided the peace of mind I need to write. The main thing for me is finding a writing routine around the non-writing job (many years on midnight shift sometimes complicated that, but I’m a dayshifter now).
I appreciate this perspective, Erin. For a long time, I dreamed of being able to write full-time, but the more I learn (about the publishing industry and myself), the more I understand that I am likely happier writing on the side of my day job for exactly the reasons you said. I want writing to be fun, and not pressure filled. ❤️
I hear you! This def resonated: "when you work so, so hard, but don’t land a book deal, therefore receiving no compensation for your labors." I also agree that it can be quite liberating to work another job and let ALL of the the other writer stuff fall to the side - except for the writing. Best of luck with doing it all!
Thanks for this, Erin! A really helpful reality check 😂 For a long time my question was 'when oh when will I finally be able to write full time?' but now it is more 'how can I find work that better supports my creativity?' My problem currently is that my day job is in sales at a publisher, so it is NOT giving me a healthy break from the industry and all its capitalistic demands...in fact, quite the opposite...
I'm with you here. I look forward to my mundane 2 days a week corporate job as a break from the creativity writing fiction requires. It's like a little paid holiday every week! Sh, don't tell them!
This post came into my feed at just time right time as I’m at a crossroads in my publishing journey. I deeply feel that strange mental wrangling of what to do when you spend time (years!) on work that doesn’t sell. You’ve reminded me that, in the past, working full or part time has always improved my creative brain!
This is a great post Erin! I’m curious if you find the creative work as a designer to be pulling from the well you’re trying to give space to fill (as opposed to a day job that isn’t creative in nature) or if you feel like it’s a different muscle and doesn’t impact your writing well.
The pressure we put on our wild, creative processes when we need to make money to live -- yes. Gosh, yes.
Thank you for sharing, Erin.
Yes to this! When I'm in good writing mode, I've found that I tend to get roughly the same output whether I've been able to write full time or had a job. I've found other things impact output a lot more than day job.
And this all reminds me very much of Big Magic, and the part where Elisabeth Gilbert talks about how we should tend to our creativity and work to support IT, rather than demanding it support us.
I hope this part-time job continues to be a great situation for you, Erin.
Yes, to all of this. I’m like you in that I don’t write well when I’m stressed about money (and lots of other things, honestly). I’ve been a full-time 911 dispatcher since 2001. While there are days I get frustrated about not being able to spend all of my time focused on my writing and publishing, I fully recognize that my job security, steady pay, and benefits have provided the peace of mind I need to write. The main thing for me is finding a writing routine around the non-writing job (many years on midnight shift sometimes complicated that, but I’m a dayshifter now).
I appreciate this perspective, Erin. For a long time, I dreamed of being able to write full-time, but the more I learn (about the publishing industry and myself), the more I understand that I am likely happier writing on the side of my day job for exactly the reasons you said. I want writing to be fun, and not pressure filled. ❤️
I hear you! This def resonated: "when you work so, so hard, but don’t land a book deal, therefore receiving no compensation for your labors." I also agree that it can be quite liberating to work another job and let ALL of the the other writer stuff fall to the side - except for the writing. Best of luck with doing it all!
Thanks for this, Erin! A really helpful reality check 😂 For a long time my question was 'when oh when will I finally be able to write full time?' but now it is more 'how can I find work that better supports my creativity?' My problem currently is that my day job is in sales at a publisher, so it is NOT giving me a healthy break from the industry and all its capitalistic demands...in fact, quite the opposite...
I'm with you here. I look forward to my mundane 2 days a week corporate job as a break from the creativity writing fiction requires. It's like a little paid holiday every week! Sh, don't tell them!
This post came into my feed at just time right time as I’m at a crossroads in my publishing journey. I deeply feel that strange mental wrangling of what to do when you spend time (years!) on work that doesn’t sell. You’ve reminded me that, in the past, working full or part time has always improved my creative brain!