Lately I have felt a little bit, well, blah. The source of my blahness, as I am now calling it, comes from a new uncertainty about my career path. You see, I have always wanted to be a designer, and the path to this designership (I'm super into making up words today) always seemed really clear. Get good grades in school, get into college, graduate from college, get awesome job. Obviously this has been majorly simplified, but you get the gist.
But lately this career path isn't making as much sense. For the last six months I have been working at the San Jose Airport doing exactly what, after college was over, I was sure I wanted. Now this job is not by any means perfect. I'm working on a PC for one, my boss, who is in charge of everything I do stumbled into the world of design twenty something years ago, is actually and engineer, and didn't even know design could be a major. But I took the job because I thought that it would be a great stepping stone to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Think again my friend. Turns out, that even though I love sitting on my ass and watching tv, I hate sitting at work all day. I hate staring at a screen for eight hours straight. And this realization has put me into a bit of a tail spin. This is what designers do, this is what I did all through college and loved it, this was going to be my life. But I can't do it. I want to move, run around town, have flexible work hours, and most of all I want to want to go to work.
So, now what do I do? How do you bounce back after realizing what you thought you wanted since you were twelve isn't really what you wanted? Open a coffee store, a design studio, a clothing store? My initial thought is retail, since it is in my blood, but I still love design and really want to have it in my life. But in what capacity? Clearly, I could use a little help.
Babygirl, we are so alike it is almost laughable. As you know, I've always dreamt of working for a nonprofit and, one day, starting my own. Well, like you, it turns out that spending ungodly amounts of time in front of the computer organizing, advocating, etc. turns one into a zombie. And every day I come home, zombie-like, and what do I do? Watch TV. On my computer. When will I learn!? I just need to move!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time we build that other dream we had as wee ones...Babette's Cafe.
Glad to know I'm not alone. Of course I'm still pursuing jobs that put me behind a desk, but I'm starting to look at them as the means to the end not the end.
DeleteIt is funny that you bring up Babette's cafe. I was just thinking about it the other day. Maybe we really should start it. Or at least something along the same lines!