What I want to be when I grow up...

Growing up has, for me, become this life-long experiment in discovering every facet of who I am and who I can be.

When I was 8 I wanted to be a painter; because that's what my parents were.

When I was 11 I wanted to be an actor. Because I had fallen in love with movies and it ticked every emotional box there was in my book.

I rode that dream through into college, getting myself a nice Theatre Performance degree, and began to find other little bits and pieces to myself that I perhaps...loved??

Post-college I did whatever I could, creatively, to earn a dollar. In addition to acting, I dipped into illustration, writing, and editing resumes. That's when I began to feel that acting alone just wouldn't cut it. So I spent two years getting my MFA in Arts Leadership; a conveniently vague title that ought to open a variety of doors right? Sort of.

I took my MFA and somehow the only field I could find consistent work in was Marketing, (which is where I am today). I focused on non-profits, and even within that field, the only doors that opened to me were marketing doors. While I've truly discovered my strengths and weaknesses in this latest career field, and I've had some changes to direct theatre, write copy, edit, and do a tiny bit of amateur graphic design...it still is not enough. Or rather, it's plenty, but it's not all the right bits yet...

...so now I find myself, once more daydreaming of what I truly, truly want to be when I grow up. And here's where I'd like to be:

I want to work from home. I want to set my own schedule. I want to write, produce, and work collaboratively on various projects. I want some of my free time to be spent sharpening my people/creative skills by volunteering on boards I am proud to be on, and I want the rest of my free time to be spent with the people I love, doing whatever they want to do!

And here is where I am so far:

I live in close enough proximity to spend any available free time with the people I love. I am on several creative boards I am proud to be a part of. I have 80% of a plan for writing/producing my own work, and I have people I want to collaborate with.

So what's holding me back from diving in head-first? Fear. Always. And a need for financial stability. What I plan to do; I know it can be financially stable, but I also know that it will take time. And I dread that time.

But what else am I supposed to do?
-Gin