This week’s prompt: If you could change career paths and be anything you would want to be, what would you be and why?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer.
Since the 4th grade, I’ve wanted to be a children’s book author and illustrator.
But when I entered the working world and began working as a magazine editor, I realized something mind-boggling.
Art and business don’t mix.
Editors and agents need to make money. They don’t recognize my need to write stories that may not be marketable. They don’t understand that I’d rather just write and write instead of market and tell everyone how brilliant my stories are.
The other thing I learned was that I’m not good under pressure. When I’m trying to produce something creative under stress and trying to please someone, every word is crap. My writing is best when I write for joy and love, letting the story tell itself on the page through my fingers like a pianist and the keyboard. I’m not a writer who wants to be tethered to a computer all day funneling their brain into 50,000 words. I’d rather write awhile, go twirl, write some more, bake a pie, write some more…
You get the picture.
Right now, I’m fortunate enough to pursue my writing dreams with plenty of time to doodle and dream. I don’t like to call my books a career because it’s more of a passion. It’s something I want to do, not something I do to make money. But if I had to go out and get a job (and career), I would want to do something creative and not writing centric. Working as a journalist was fun, but draining. It was hard to chase and write stories all day and come home and try to write my own. I’d want to do something hands on with the arts, like sculpting jewelry or baking or painting or designing. After teaching writing classes, I found out I’m a terrible teacher and I can’t stand blood, so nursing is out. I made a D in business and marketing makes me cranky.
The only thing I’m good at in life is feeding people and writing stories. That’s not a promising career path for grown ups.
But luckily, I still don’t have to grow up yet. So I’ll keep telling stories and painting.
What would you do, Invisible Friends? If you had to do it all over again, would you do the same career?
I would be a famous actress, of course!
Honestly, I think if I had it to do all over again, I would write. For actual money. Like all the time. And I would be on Oprah! 
I felt your passion. Enjoyed your post.
You should go for it. You can self-publish —and not worry about a big company that wants to make tons of money —and no deadlines. There are many ways you can publish-on-demand. Instead of printing thousands of copies, one copy can be printed when one is ordered. Lots of people are doing that, and their books are even available at Amazon.com. And, sometimes, when a big publisher sees a book doing well, it will pick it up —and then it gets publicity and distribution.
Just search for POD, or publish on demand. (I would also look at reviews of various companies.) Instead of having to put out big bucks for a run of a thousand books, the fees are rather reasonable for the initial set up. (A picture book is probably more expensive to set up & print than all text.) Then, someone orders a book on Amazon, and within a few days, it is printed and shipped.
There is also blurb.com —mostly photo books, but there are some children’s books there, too. You have to buy one copy of your own book and then it is available for sale on the site.
Costco and Kinko’s (FedEx now) also print books of photos, but I’m sure they would handle art work that has been scanned or digitized in the same way) so you could create a book on one of their web sites and order them for friends or a local bookstore if they will handle them.
Check out my contribution to Mama Kat here: http://proartz.blogspot.com/2012/08/butterfly-kisses-poetry.html
I love how you write! Taking time to twirl is very important.
Never grow up!!
I’ve never lost the notion of being a writer, but right now, I want to be able to start Sissy Sees and call it my career.
Your writing here was so fun to read – look into self-publishing and go for it! Nothing to lose. Loved the line where you said you hate blood, so nursing’s out. That’s exactly the kind of thing I would think. Came by via Mama Kat’s. I wrote about my awesome third grade teacher here: http://www.themeaningofme.com/once-upon-a-time-in-third-grade/
loved your post–follow those dreams. kaye—the road goes ever ever on
Happy Saturday from SIts! I think you are a writer and love that it is a passion. Keep on pursuing and keeping young.
Knowing what you don’t want to do is an important part of knowing what you want in life. Sounds like you enjoy being on the creative side of things; it is great that you are able to pursue that!
I think it’s great that you’re doing what you love now!