Career Advice from HP

(This one is for the young'uns out there)

You know that really impractical career aspiration you have? The one that involves whatever your passion is, that would set you up for a lot of competition for jobs, that may not pay well but sounds super fun? It's probably also the one that your parents or whatever other adults are influential in your life are telling you not to pursue because it sounds too fanciful and might not pay the bills. Well, don't listen to the adults. Pursue that impractical career aspiration. Take it from your friend Hey Pretty, who has logged many on hour suffering through unfulfilling office jobs. Sitting in a dull beige cubical all day doing something you don't really care about that you know isn't what you're destined to do, but you're doing it because it felt like the practical career path, is depressing. I should know.

It's not that my job is that awful. It even sounds interesting to the outside ear and involves many of my skills. But it's just...wrong for me. For years I have thought that my disinterest in my work was due to the environment that I worked in. But this is my third job involving marketing, public affairs and writing for some sort of issue, and you know what? I think it's the marketing/public affairs/writing that's problem. Growing up I kicked around the idea of going to art school or at the very least majoring in art at college. But I didn't because it felt impractical and because a bunch of adults told me it would be too hard to get a job. Well yes, but what about the theory that if you do something you really love you'll go far because it's what you love and that will fuel your success? Is that too wild of an idea? I'm totally beginning to wish I hadn't listened to them.

I've always regarded maturity as doing the practical thing, but what if the most practical thing is actually following your heart, logic be damned?

So. I pledge to become more involved in the DC art community and to make some connections there and further contemplate graduate school. Meanwhile, if any of you are friends with an art administrator or an art consultant, I would love to talk to them about their jobs. And...if any of you are looking to buy some art and need help finding work that you like, I am officially offering my services for free. I know some artists and I'm good at translating abstract aesthetic preferences into concrete artistic objects (made by other people, not me--although I do take nice photos, but they're hardly of professional caliber).