A year later

So a year ago, I came back to Utah after a terrible internship experience, with no idea where I was going to live, how I was going to support myself, or what I was going to do with my life.  I was leaving the cloistered halls of academia and venturing for the first time out into the “real world.”

Now, a year later, I can honestly say that even though there have been ups and downs, overall it’s been a great experience.  I’ve learned a ton, both about myself and this “real world” business, and I’ve changed in some surprising ways.

How, you may ask?  Well, let’s see…

1) I never want to be salaried.

This was probably the most surprising thing I learned.  Even if my writing career never takes off, I would rather work for myself and own the value I create than work for someone else and have them own me. Even if it means not knowing where my next paycheck is coming from, I’d rather have the control, the independence, and the satisfaction of working for myself doing what I love.

Sometimes I wonder if we’ve unwittingly become a nation of wage slaves.  So many people work at jobs they hate, only to have the illusion of financial security.  Well, that’s not me, and it’s never going to be me.  I’d rather work for myself and love it than spend the rest of my life counting down the days to my next vacation, or the years to my retirement.  I’m a smart, resourceful guy; I’m sure I can figure things out.

Which brings me to the next point…

2) The idea of being an entrepreneur excites me.

Writing is not just an art, it’s a business, and the more I research the business aspect of it–or indeed, business in general–the more excited I’ve become.  Leaving academia has helped me get in touch with my entrepreneurial side, and surprisingly it’s a lot stronger than I’d thought it would be.

As a writer, I see myself as a self-employed small business owner who creates intellectual properties and licenses the rights to publishers, film makers, game designers, etc.  With ebooks, now I can sell my work directly to readers, and you have no idea how excited that makes me.  It’s not just because of all the hype surrounding Amanda Hocking or Joe Konrath–it goes much deeper into who I am.  All things being equal, I’d rather be an indie author because I see myself as an entrepreneur.

Those are probably the two biggest things I’ve learned.  I can probably summarize the others with a simple list:

• It’s not possible to work two careers and focus all your effort on only one.  If you really want to be a writer, get a job, but focus on the writing.
• Temp and part time jobs are much better for balancing creative pursuits, even though they offer less security (which may be an illusion anyway).
• It takes a long time to naturally grow a blog readership, but once you hit a certain point, it grows very fast.  I assume it’s the same with books and stories.
• Social media, when used correctly, can work magic.
• Cheap/free headphones can sometimes work remarkably well.
• Budgeting is not hard.  Neither are taxes (if you’re poor).
• Never turn down a job because you think you might get a different one.
• A creative career won’t give you security, but you can still make it work.

So, looking back, would I change anything?  Not really.  I kind of wish I’d applied earlier to teach English in Korea, but if I had, I’d have started in February, and I wouldn’t have been in a good position to take advantage of the ongoing ebook revolution.  In fact, I might not have even noticed it until I got back to the states.

My plans for now are to focus on my writing over the summer, leave in August to teach English abroad (probably in Korea, though I’m toying around with other places), spend a year or two traveling and earning money to live off of until the writing takes off.

And marriage and family…who knows?  That’s an adventure that still lies beyond my ability to foresee.  One thing is for sure, though; I’d better avoid getting trapped in any comfort zones if I want to make progress on that front.  In terms of work and career, the past year has definitely not been a comfort zone, but it’s also helped me to see what I want to do with my life–more than college, even.

The future is uncertain, but that’s what makes it so awesome.  Even if my writing career never gives me a “secure” source of income, I’m more confident now than ever that I can make it work.  Until then, I’ll be writing.