hellenhighwater:

hellenhighwater:

I see a lot of people who tell young people–especially young people who are heading into college–that they should “do what they love.” And they’re right. You should do what you love.

But there’s a world of difference between doing what you love for you, and doing what you love for a paycheck. 

I went to undergrad for graphic design and 3-D design–art and more art, I usually say–and I loved it. You know what I didn’t love? Trying to collect my fees from clients. Trying to meet unrealistic, over-simplified or over-specific briefs from people who didn’t know what they were talking about. Coming home, having worked creatively all day, with no creative juice left for the things I wanted to do.

You know what I would tell you instead? Do something that you can be interested in, with people you like.

You don’t have to love it. Loving your work can be a lot, and it often means you have to live in your job 24/7. Some people can do that. Not everyone can, or should.  But if you can find work that’s interesting enough that it doesn’t feel tedious, and people you can enjoy spending your 9-5 with, and you can make money, that’s great! It means you can do the things you love for you.

I’m in law school now. It’s interesting work, and difficult, and I like doing it. I like how complicated it gets, and I like the stories it tells. But I don’t come home and read law journals for fun. I come home, and I sculpt, and I draw, and I paint, and I read. I do these things for me.

And I love it. 

This is still circulating and it’s been a few years, so let me update. I’m officially a lawyer now, and still not a single regret about this choice. Settling into a stable job is such a gift and a privilege in ways I didn’t expect. I’m not going to repeat the advice given above, but I want to make it clear that having passed through my student years and into my career proper, I stand by this in every respect. 

I chose to take a job that was not the most high-paying option available to me, because it wouldn’t require me to bill my time, I would have a better work-life balance, I found the work more engaging, and I really loved the office. It has paid off so much.

I get to walk to work, and most days I leave my laptop behind when I walk home at five. I have a little house with a little garden and a bunch of seedlings sprouting too early for spring. I have two stupid cats and two stupider doves and they make me happy. I put a little money into food and shelter for the neighborhood strays and name all my visiting opossums Harold. My art gets done when I feel inspiration striking, sometimes in the middle of the night, and I let my hobby fund itself without the pressure of deadlines. There is so much joy in making only what I want to. My sleep schedule has stabilized. For the first time in my life, I know the shape my days will take weeks and months away, because my routine is consistent, and I never knew what a peace that was. My job is predictable but never boring, interesting but not consuming, and it’s just a job. 

There are people who will tell you–people who have told me–that turning my back on an artistic career or a career you have “potential” in is selling out, or settling. 

Let me tell you, friends, I have never felt so settled. 

hiraofficial:

“Always Believe Something Wonderful Is About To Happen.” 🌸🌷💗

multifan3000:

I’ve officially decided my favorite relationship trope is “at first I was perpetually bothered by your mere existence but somewhere along the way you became my best friend and oh yeah I’m also in love with you.” Nothing else matters.

podencos:

icexprincess:

podencos:

Imagine actively choosing to be hateful and cruel and embittered when the world is already painful and fatiguing… pick another path, babe

Someone doesn’t understand trauma

Since when is trauma an excuse for deliberately treating people poorly

rinnetenseisdiedbadly-deactivat:

ENOUGH about being insane and evil what about those of us who are insane and nice. do we get some representation

allthisfornothing:

carriecoded:

in all seriousness. if u are a content creator and u want to make money. do not put your money in the hands of tumblr. like not just bc it will ruin the site but because i genuinely do not trust them to handle ur money. literally just open commissions or use patreon/ko-fi

this is a website that lets you click a tag you see on your dash all the time and takes you to a “there’s nothing here” error page

akaneqc:

Manacled Chinese translation hard copy 《镣铐之下》

Cr：季的季几（Weibo）

@senlinyu

ibuzoo:

ibuzoo:

I don’t even know how to start this. Right now I’m dealing with more than I know how to deal with. I’m typing and deleting, typing and deleting and I wonder if I even should write something or if I should just not talk about it like all the times before. But the last time I opened up about this, a lot of people came to me to talk about similar problems so I think maybe this post might help someone to open up about it, too.

So.

I had a rough few months where I saw a lot of doctors until one of them told me two days ago, that I’m having cancer. Again.

If you don’t know about me because you’re a new follower or didn’t see the message back last year, I’ve battled cancer three times already so this marks the fourth time for me. I am exhausted. I don’t even know why I’m here or what I’m doing with my life right now, because each time I finally think I battled it for good, it shows up again. 

I’m attached to this blog. I’m attached to the memories I made and the people I met and the content I created. And I want to stay and create even more. But I don’t know how long I’ll still have the power to do that. Right now, I simply feel tired.

I had a plan to open a shop in fall to sell stickers, notepads etc. I am designing and drawing all day, but everything feels a bit futile. To top it all my drawing pad is not working properly anymore and I need to get a new one soon if I want to finish all products before launch in September. And since I’m not working regularly right now because of Covid, I need to save up some money. I hate to do this, but if anyone wants to support me and my work please consider buying my books on gumroad, commissioning me - I can draw and write something for you - or buy me a ko-fi. 

Thank you for reading this, it means a lot. I hope all of you stay healthy and safe.

Hey everyone, here an update for all the concerned people asking:

I am in hospital right now and had surgery last Monday. If my healing process goes as planned, I can go home on Friday.

It will still be a long way with after cancer treatments, meds, the uncertainty if the cancer is gone for good and more, but I am sure I will fight through it. Thank you everyone who send a message and comforting words, bought my books or ko-fi, all of your support means a lot!

delilac:

Hermione Granger: I have decided that I am in fact a snack. Its just that no one is hungry.

Draco Malfoy, under his breath: I’m fucking starving

girlwiththegreenhat:

when you return to an old fandom after a long time and remember your favorite character(s)

hellenhighwater:

hellenhighwater:

I see a lot of people who tell young people–especially young people who are heading into college–that they should “do what they love.” And they’re right. You should do what you love.

But there’s a world of difference between doing what you love for you, and doing what you love for a paycheck. 

I went to undergrad for graphic design and 3-D design–art and more art, I usually say–and I loved it. You know what I didn’t love? Trying to collect my fees from clients. Trying to meet unrealistic, over-simplified or over-specific briefs from people who didn’t know what they were talking about. Coming home, having worked creatively all day, with no creative juice left for the things I wanted to do.

You know what I would tell you instead? Do something that you can be interested in, with people you like.

You don’t have to love it. Loving your work can be a lot, and it often means you have to live in your job 24/7. Some people can do that. Not everyone can, or should.  But if you can find work that’s interesting enough that it doesn’t feel tedious, and people you can enjoy spending your 9-5 with, and you can make money, that’s great! It means you can do the things you love for you.

I’m in law school now. It’s interesting work, and difficult, and I like doing it. I like how complicated it gets, and I like the stories it tells. But I don’t come home and read law journals for fun. I come home, and I sculpt, and I draw, and I paint, and I read. I do these things for me.

And I love it. 

This is still circulating and it’s been a few years, so let me update. I’m officially a lawyer now, and still not a single regret about this choice. Settling into a stable job is such a gift and a privilege in ways I didn’t expect. I’m not going to repeat the advice given above, but I want to make it clear that having passed through my student years and into my career proper, I stand by this in every respect. 

I chose to take a job that was not the most high-paying option available to me, because it wouldn’t require me to bill my time, I would have a better work-life balance, I found the work more engaging, and I really loved the office. It has paid off so much.

I get to walk to work, and most days I leave my laptop behind when I walk home at five. I have a little house with a little garden and a bunch of seedlings sprouting too early for spring. I have two stupid cats and two stupider doves and they make me happy. I put a little money into food and shelter for the neighborhood strays and name all my visiting opossums Harold. My art gets done when I feel inspiration striking, sometimes in the middle of the night, and I let my hobby fund itself without the pressure of deadlines. There is so much joy in making only what I want to. My sleep schedule has stabilized. For the first time in my life, I know the shape my days will take weeks and months away, because my routine is consistent, and I never knew what a peace that was. My job is predictable but never boring, interesting but not consuming, and it’s just a job. 

There are people who will tell you–people who have told me–that turning my back on an artistic career or a career you have “potential” in is selling out, or settling. 

Let me tell you, friends, I have never felt so settled. 

hiraofficial:

“Always Believe Something Wonderful Is About To Happen.” 🌸🌷💗

multifan3000:

I’ve officially decided my favorite relationship trope is “at first I was perpetually bothered by your mere existence but somewhere along the way you became my best friend and oh yeah I’m also in love with you.” Nothing else matters.

podencos:

icexprincess:

podencos:

Imagine actively choosing to be hateful and cruel and embittered when the world is already painful and fatiguing… pick another path, babe

Someone doesn’t understand trauma

Since when is trauma an excuse for deliberately treating people poorly

rinnetenseisdiedbadly-deactivat:

ENOUGH about being insane and evil what about those of us who are insane and nice. do we get some representation

allthisfornothing:

carriecoded:

in all seriousness. if u are a content creator and u want to make money. do not put your money in the hands of tumblr. like not just bc it will ruin the site but because i genuinely do not trust them to handle ur money. literally just open commissions or use patreon/ko-fi

this is a website that lets you click a tag you see on your dash all the time and takes you to a “there’s nothing here” error page

akaneqc:

Manacled Chinese translation hard copy 《镣铐之下》

Cr：季的季几（Weibo）

@senlinyu

ibuzoo:

ibuzoo:

I don’t even know how to start this. Right now I’m dealing with more than I know how to deal with. I’m typing and deleting, typing and deleting and I wonder if I even should write something or if I should just not talk about it like all the times before. But the last time I opened up about this, a lot of people came to me to talk about similar problems so I think maybe this post might help someone to open up about it, too.

So.

I had a rough few months where I saw a lot of doctors until one of them told me two days ago, that I’m having cancer. Again.

If you don’t know about me because you’re a new follower or didn’t see the message back last year, I’ve battled cancer three times already so this marks the fourth time for me. I am exhausted. I don’t even know why I’m here or what I’m doing with my life right now, because each time I finally think I battled it for good, it shows up again. 

I’m attached to this blog. I’m attached to the memories I made and the people I met and the content I created. And I want to stay and create even more. But I don’t know how long I’ll still have the power to do that. Right now, I simply feel tired.

I had a plan to open a shop in fall to sell stickers, notepads etc. I am designing and drawing all day, but everything feels a bit futile. To top it all my drawing pad is not working properly anymore and I need to get a new one soon if I want to finish all products before launch in September. And since I’m not working regularly right now because of Covid, I need to save up some money. I hate to do this, but if anyone wants to support me and my work please consider buying my books on gumroad, commissioning me - I can draw and write something for you - or buy me a ko-fi. 

Thank you for reading this, it means a lot. I hope all of you stay healthy and safe.

Hey everyone, here an update for all the concerned people asking:

I am in hospital right now and had surgery last Monday. If my healing process goes as planned, I can go home on Friday.

It will still be a long way with after cancer treatments, meds, the uncertainty if the cancer is gone for good and more, but I am sure I will fight through it. Thank you everyone who send a message and comforting words, bought my books or ko-fi, all of your support means a lot!

delilac:

Hermione Granger: I have decided that I am in fact a snack. Its just that no one is hungry.

Draco Malfoy, under his breath: I’m fucking starving

girlwiththegreenhat:

when you return to an old fandom after a long time and remember your favorite character(s)