Day jobs and night jobs

It seems that we can no longer do what we love as a day job, as our time is tied up doing jobs that ‘get us somewhere’. Friends of mine, a couple, both have their day job and night job. One works as a trainer in one of the major insurance companies by day, and dances in one of Melbourne’s best hip-hop crews by night, as well as the occasional podium dancing. Her fiancé works in one of the Big Banks by day, and is DJ in some of the hottest clubs in Melbourne by night. Which makes me wonder, when did doing what we love take a back seat to doing what we have to?

Part of the reason I think is because people don’t have faith in their own abilities anymore. When I recently went to get a reading done at a psychic, the very first thing she said to me was that I am a great writer, but don’t have confidence in my ability to write, and don’t realise I am as good as I actually am. In high school I always told my trainer-cum-dancer friend that she was an awesome dancer and that she should do it professionally one day, but she would just laugh and shrug it off, not really believing me (or anyone else).

Another reason is because in my group of friends many of the things that we love doing are part of the Arts industry, a fickle and highly volatile industry that can make you an instant success overnight, and leave you in the gutter just as quickly. There’s no room for mediocre in this industry, so unless people are absolutely sure of their talents, they prefer not to risk it, sticking with the safe and secure instead of venturing out on a limb to chase their dreams. Hence, the reason why I am publishing myself on blogs and not in newspapers and magazines (not yet, anyway).
It’s quite sad really. We are living a life that we have settled for, rather than the one we want. Maybe this is just me, my husband, and my group of friends, but I’m sure it’s not. There are more people that would rather be working in a different industry, a different job, than there are people who love what they’re doing and wouldn’t change it for the world.

All I can say is if you stay true to what you believe, and remember what it is you love doing, then one day I can only hope that we will all be doing what we love, and not what we have to.