Dreaming Too Big? 3 Stress Relievers for Soon-to-Be Creative Graduates
Replace your concerns of job uncertainty with relentless energy to create your best body of work.
Time to Read: 5 min
Graduation is a topic known all too well by creative students. Whether you want to or not, you'll end up talking about the dreaded "G" word sooner or later with family or friends. The question of your success is always on your mind, with thousands of thoughts swirling around in your mind—if your portfolio is good enough, if you'll land a great job post-college, and if years of debt were worth it.
Pursuing a career in liberal arts might be deemed as a money trap to some, usually by those who think that you can just walk into a talent agency and declare your worthiness... Yet, we all know it doesn't work like that. One of the toughest realizations to come to terms with is whether you're just downright dreaming too big.
We all know the phrase: Do what makes you happy in life. If you're happy doing your job, then is it really a job after all? Dedicated creatives take this mantra to heart, throwing themselves into heavy course loads and extremely competitive fields to do what they love every single day. However, it's hard not to feel the pressure when it seems everyone has a blog these days and amazing Instagram portfolios.
Some professionals describe the creative industry now as being "more like an Instagram facade." For soon-to-be graduates, social media can be a great tool to display portfolios and connect with other artists. Unfortunately, it also means it's impossible to ignore the overwhelming competition that's out there.
According to The Business of Fashion, fashion students, in particular, are the most stressed about finding jobs after graduation. The industry has seen an explosion of young artists enrolling in programs and ultimately competing for the same jobs. Although course loads and instructors don't seem to be a problem, it's the lack of preparation for the real world that worries students. Creative graduates tend to be concerned about job security and how they stack up to other applicants. When the thought of graduation gets to be too much to handle, remember these three things:
Being An Artist Means You Have to Be Fluid
Your career path may change several times. At some point, you have to decide if you're okay with working unrelated jobs to get to that dream job. Think about: how many unpaid internships are you willing to work, the sleepless nights you're willing to endure, the stressful collaborations you're willing to take on, where you want to end up, and how important your dreams are to you.
Use All the Connections You Have
Some may think an education in liberal arts is a waste of money and unwarranted, as compared to traditional higher education or learning a trade. With it comes endless opportunities, exposure, experience, and connections. As you start building your career, use these opportunities to your advantage. Collaborate, network, immerse yourself in the hidden areas of your field, and use social media!
Social media is a great way to connect with other devoted artists. After weeks of thinking about how weird it must be to message a stranger, it’s easier coming to terms with it when you have a vision that’s in your heart to share. Social media is the way of the world now, and if you don't care to post selfies all the time, you might as well use it for your career.
Pursuing the liberal arts is one of the best ways to connect with people who can inspire you in so many different ways! For example, if you stay in your small town and try to start a flourishing career from there, you would never have the chance to meet other passionate artists who get the excitement of completing a project and bringing a long-time vision to life. If you're not dedicated to finding connections, you'll always wonder what your career "could have" been.
Use Rejection as Motivation to Fine-Tune Your Skills
There will be times when you are overlooked or rejected for a job. It's honestly unavoidable. Employers may not be direct about why you weren't chosen for a project or specific job, but don't take it personally. Understand that there are hundreds of people just like you vying for the same internships, jobs, and opportunities to display your work.
Be prepared to see your fair share of rejection. It can get discouraging and make you wonder why you couldn't have just gone for that safe, office job your parents wanted you to instead. Turn that thinking around; otherwise, you'll spend all your days assuming you and your work aren't good enough. If you keep wallowing in your failures, you might not have the courage to see what’s right around the corner. You don’t want to miss the chance to land the internship or gig of your dreams!
Use your past rejections to light a fire inside of you to improve your work and skill set, whether it's to prove it to yourself, your family, or your dream employer that you are capable of greatness. Replace your concerns of job uncertainty with the relentless energy to create your best body of work. You'll thank yourself later that you chose to believe in your own power.