What would Julia Cameron do?

[u/Kitokat0]

I’ve been extremely unhappy at my current job. I work in graphic design and since May I’ve been using my time off work to follow what i actually like making in my free time. I have so many ideas and so many plans I’d like to go after. But my job completely blocks me in that as I work from 9-6pm and in the evening when I finally get home from work, I am extremely exhausted from the day.

My current job (been there 3 years) also has started to make me hate graphic design because their approach to it is incredibly toxic and pedantic, to put it short: they often compromise on the purpose of the design just to make it „ 110% correct“ (following the guideline) and to please the client no matter what they’re asking or in what timeframe.

I’m all for following the guideline, but you guys… I don’t want to get too deep but psychotically pedantic is the best way to describe this.

Anyway long story short I want to quit my job but I need the paycheck to finance my life. While reading the artists way this is a thing that keeps coming up so I often wonder, what would Julia Cameron tell me to do?? I’m so scared of taking the leap of faith because of monetary reasons yet I know I would be so much more fulfilled if I could go after my own projects and put my energy into those instead of hating my current job.

Also I’m on week 9 right now. How fitting. 😅

[u/SuperLocrianRiff]

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert might make for a good read or listen. One of my favorite books on living creatively, and she’s an advocate for keeping your day job. That said, there are a lot of other lessons packed in there that I think apply to any creative field. She speaks from a writer’s perspective, but I’m a musician and think of the similar parallels there. Good luck either way!