Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Not-So-Starving Starving Artist

I know I just used this photo, but it seems fitting.  And this is my blog
I want to share a little about my jobs.

I am a substitute teacher and a part-time newspaper reporter.

Both jobs are amazing.  I love being around students.  No, I don't anticipate becoming a teacher, but I love youth.  They are fun, full of life, and still so malleable.  It is refreshing to see a younger generation enjoying themselves, learning, and growing up.  My favorite age group is middle and high school.  But, I love all the ages.

Writing for a newspaper is something I didn't think I wanted to do.  Even before attending the World Journalism Institute, I said I would like to do magazine journalism but not newspaper journalism.  Where do I find myself?  Writing for a small town newspaper!  It is fantastic.  I've grown a lot, even in the few weeks I've been writing.  Creating an article is like putting together a puzzle without a picture to reference, and I'm creating the pieces as I go along.

Sometimes I become frustrated that I don't have a job to wake up for every day.  Other times, I fear people's opinions.  Are they thinking I'm a lazy bum?  But, then it dawns on me, I get to write for a living, I get to spend time with kids, and I'm not pinned down to one thing.  So many people envy the "starving artist" persona, and I, in a sense, get to be that for a time.  I'm certainly not starving, but I get to do two things I love...write and spend time with awesome teenagers, pre-teens, and kids (and participate in educating them).

Daddy once gave me a piece of advice.  He told me, "Do what you love, and find a way to get paid for it." (The quote may not be exact, but nonetheless, it's going in quotation marks)

I certainly didn't envision myself as a reporter...even a month and a half ago.  Yet, here I am.  But, as always, God has a plan.  Life is an adventure.  It's exciting, and I can't wait to see what happens next!  For now, I'm spending time with people I love, rebuilding friendships, and gaining a deep love for where I live.

1 comment:

  1. I would love to get paid for writing! Actually, that's the kind of lifestyle that I'm trying to work my way towards. I think your 'careers' sound very cool and I love the advice about figuring out a way to get paid to do what you love. That's what I need to do!

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