“I’m an artist in my mid 30s and I’ve recently been thinking about going back to school for clinical social work. I had gotten pretty into the idea and was beginning the application process when I randomly landed a kind of dream job. It’s not a dream job in the sense most people think of one, it’s just a good job where I like the people I work with (other artists), am treated well, paid well, feel like I can be my goofy self, and don’t feel totally drained at the end of the day (meaning i can still make art and have a life.) While my interest in social work still stands, and I recognize that loving a job you’ve been at for a couple months doesn’t mean you’ll always love it, I have to admit I’m confused! I’ve been thinking and talking to a few trusted people about it, but I’m curious to hear your take! I know that a job as a therapist would probably be more meaningful than what I’m doing now, but I’m unsure how important that is to me, and also how urgent. Do I stick with this job and wait to see how I feel next year, or just go forward with the momentum I’ve built up? I’ll also add that quarantine feels like a weird-ass time to be making decisions. ”
— Anonymous caller
“Something I really want to lean into here is this question of, “I know that a job as a therapist would probably be more meaningful than what I’m doing now.” I want to pause us there, I want anyone who’s listening to either sink into the comfort or discomfort that comes with hearing a question like that. Cuz to me, my very opinionated reaction is “how is that more meaningful?” I think that it’s so easy for us to assign meaning to more traditional jobs. I think the job of a social worker or therapist or any kind of emotional guide is extremely important, and I do not think it is any more important than the role of an artist in the world.”
— Marlee Grace
“How do you create structure for yourself as a person working in the creative world, outside of a typical 9-5? How to balance work time and non-work time?”
— Anonymous caller
“This question is so beautiful and asked so often in the creative world, I don’t think there is an obvious answer. I think it’s up to the individual, I think it’s up to what your astrological chart looks like, what your human design looks like, your enneagram number. There’s so many deciding factors in how we work, when we work, what our flow is. And so for me, lately, I think I try to pay attention to am I feeling fed by my work and if not, what do I need to do to shift that, to stay accountable to my tasks? ”