Make sure the 'how' is as exciting and well-suited to you as the 'what'

Hey there fellow Career Shifters,

I didn't realise my last post was in April. 3 months on, here's my quarterly report:

- Let's get pro-active! i met some professional actors and got the scoop on 'the actors life' - 3 weeks of work, the rest of the time you're in a call centre!! okay, so that's a generalisation, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but it made me think - i'm not making acting my pot of gold that all else is sacrificed for. i adore acting, once i'm in rehearsals and on set/stage it feels right, but i'm not gonna be poor and miserable while i wait for that star to rise. and i'm not going to wait for someone else to give me a break... too self-starting for that. i have to find a way to make this work for me, not against me.

- through networking i was offered an assistant directing job for a great guy: a lot of my time for none of their money (and no expenses, miff). i made another decision - if i'm going to do something for free, it has to be fun, and moreover, it has to be for me. i would rather put on my own show - i have to value my time and money.

- talked to people in film industry generally. they have corporate ladders to climb up too. they have production office politics, tempestuous devil-wears-prada bosses, micro management... crikey. what did i learn? - i'll make my own films, and i may not make my first proper one til i'm 40, who knows, but i'm going to do it myself.

- have started to collaborate with an illustrator on a comic book - i'm writing it. i wrote out a 2 page synopsis and because it's now on the page in a general story form, i'm happy to move onto something else! or take it somewhere else other than on the page eg move away from writing to .. bringing in actors?! i'm not very good with developing writing and re-writing over sustained periods of time. it's lonely...

- finished the first year of my art+design course. the teachers were pleased, although i haven't done any art/design work since end of term. i miss the people at college more than the work. Fun is where the people are - being creative by yourself has a time limit

- what have these experiences taught me? There is something of a paradox: i'm independent and self-starting, but i also need interaction with others. i enjoy meeting new people, and having shared experiences, but i also need to be able to do my own thing within a group and feel autonomous. there is a limit to what i'll do for others for free, i don't like to feel like i'm being taken advantage of - i've learnt to know my worth!

- where am i at? ok shifters, i believe that with hard graft the world does reward people who pursue their dreams, but the journey to that moment of success has to be fun and empowering, not draining, cuz darnit, you need as much energy as you can for the long road! Sometimes the 'how to get there' is as important as the destination. and the 'how' comes down to who you are. If you get the 'how' wrong, it can even make you question the destination - 'is it really worth all this?!' if the 'how' conflicts with one of your core values (eg to be independent) you won't get moving at all. things will just grate and you'll probably dig your heels in.

so, with the help of the wonderful CareerShifters online group, i'm finally really getting to know exactly who i am and how i work, and to work with that rather than follow routes that seem to work for others.

so i guess what you could take from all this is: think of what your goal/dream job/destination could be, then talk to people doing it or on their way to it. find out if their path is one you could use as a model for yourself, but if not, look for another model, or invent one yourself. don't be put off from your original goal/destination if you think the route there will be horrible. there's no single route to anything. even if 95% of people arrive at a specific role through a conventional route, there's bound to be a minority who managed to do it through a different route. find the route that's right for you.

okay, good luck everyone! i'm off to plot my global takeover
sab xxx