Work is a really interesting thing. I’m not talking about working hard at what you are passionate about. I’m talking about work as in my day job. I feel like I could write a book on the subject (though I promise not to do that here).
I think I’m just fascinated with the way one’s day job can really help them to figure out what it is they really want to be doing with their life (I wonder if prison is like that!). I really think that for the average working class dreamer, the pursuit of your dreams and the type of day-job you have are inexorably linked. Their relationship is so direct that they affect each other constantly.
It’s almost like finding nirvana if you can manage to have the perfect day job. It’s like there’s this cosmic dance going on between your chosen quality of life, the cost for that quality of life, the job you choose to help you afford that quality of life, the pursuit of your dreams (or your craft), and the pursuit of the freedom to pursue those dreams. Now that sounds like a mouthful, but believe me it’s a complex system and there are many decisions to make.
For me one of the biggest recent decisions I’ve made has been to have a day gig that has nothing to do with the entertainment industry. For years I operated under the philosophy that you should find a day gig in the same industry that you want to be successful in. And for the last few years I made most of my living doing “entertainment.” But wow those air-quotes sure do cover a lot of ground. Much of the ‘entertainment” that has made me a living wasn’t in line with my dreams at all. After years of doing it this way I finally wised up and rejected this philosophy.
The basic idea is that you somehow work your way up the ladder, and then some day get promoted into your dream job. Now I don’t mean to knock this theory entirely. I know it actually works for some people, and there is definitely value to gaining experience in your chosen field. However, I feel that this method can really have a confusing affect on one’s vision (which often times is under-developed to begin with), particularly if you are trying to make it in the arts.
In my experience, one can very easily delude oneself into thinking that they are actively pursuing their dreams when in fact they are really only working a day-job in the vicinity of their dreams. If you have a cloudy vision to begin with, this might be great for you, because working there can most certainly lead to opportunities to do a host of different things. But if you have a clear vision, many times working in the industry, might just sweep you away on projects that are ‘kinda like’ your dreams, but not quite exact.
In contrast, when you are a shoe sales man (which I actually did back in college, and whoa did it suck!), you know for a fact that you are definitely not pursuing your career when you are at work (my apologies to those whose actual dream is to be a shoe salesman. I just needed an example). So what ends up happening is that work becomes a place where you develop your vision for your dreams. It becomes crystal clear to you.
Now one might say, “Hey Johnny, it seems to me that a person who is working in the industry that is close to their dream profession is at least somewhat near to the right path, where as the shoe salesman spends his whole day dreaming, but is nowhere near to actually living out their dreams right?” To which I would reply firstly, ‘Don’t call me Johnny,” but then I would go on to explain, that this is where the art of the day-job really rests.
The artist (and by artist I mean anyone who has a life giving passion and vision) must seek out the right kind of day-job. It has to be perfect. Basically his/her day-job has to be something that allows them to afford to live at their current chosen “quality of life”. Which, by the way, is pretty much a whole chapter in the imaginary book I’m writing. You have to make some serious decisions about what standard of living you are going to have, and what sacrifices you are going to have to make while on the journey toward pursuing your dreams. I know so many people who hate their jobs and feel like their dreams are fading away all because they have such a high quality of life that they are slaves to their jobs. But I digress.
Like I said, working a day job in a different field helps you to hone your vision and your dreams and to really know what you want. It helps you to keep true to your vision as well and to be able to communicate it better as well. Also, if the artist/dreamer can find the right job (and this is crucial) it will be one that doesn’t deplete them of all of their energy.
In fact, the right job leaves the artist with plenty of time and energy to make deposits of time and energy into pursuing their dreams. This is the art. To find the perfect job to stay afloat while you create an artistic as well as business vision for the future of your dreams. I really feel that if you can keep the focus of the whole effort on making a meaningful impact on the world around you, then your dreams will flourish and really affect people. So, okay I lied, and wrote ten times more than I planned to.
And by now you all probably think I’m crazy. But trust me, pursuing a dream or a vision is no sane business.
Okay…back to work!
p.s. if anyone has thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear them. email me at johntorresmusic@yahoo.com!
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