Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.
– Henry David Thoreau
A few years ago, I wrote that quote on the first page of my drawing/doodling journal. I felt like I had to. I’ve been a freelancer forever (except for the 2-week stint in a corporate office) so I constantly try to remind myself that THIS is my chosen path and that I should be thankful that I am able to do what I love. So far, I have no regrets. I am extremely happy! 😛
It wasn’t an easy road getting here: 7 years ago, I felt my peers and elders were sort of disappointed in me for not choosing to work for a multinational corporation, or in any 9-to-5 job. People didn’t respect freelance work then, and that caused me to doubt myself, too. But for as long as I can remember, this job I have now, was all I ever wanted to do ever since I was a kid. I’ve always loved art, and if 6-year old me could see the me right now, she’d probably give me a high five! Maybe even a high TEN! Imagine, people now pay me to draw for them! Wow! So I keep those things in mind and just work harder to prove to the world, and to myself, that I DID make the right choices in life. Writing things like this on my journal and posting positive reminders on my wall keep me going, and this list below (from my 2005 journal) gave me the structure that I needed.
PJ mentioned something the other day that really struck me: When you’re a kid, all people ever ask you are, 1) How old are you? and 2) What do you want to be when you grow up?
And then, through the course and pressures of life, we forget about our ambitions. Perhaps because we grow up and change preferences. Or maybe because other people influence us to do so.
When was the last time YOU thought about YOUR dreams in life?
In our junior year in college, our Creativity class teacher gave us this exercise, which I am sharing with you now. I’ve kept my original lists and check back on them to see how I’ve changed, and to answer them again every few years. I hope that you will find this helpful in figuring out your career / life paths. After making these lists, it won’t be hard to figure out what you SHOULD be doing with your life! 🙂
1) I really enjoy… (list 15 things)
2) I am very good at… (list 15 things)
3) I am very interested in… (list 5 things)
4) I don’t do it much, but I like to… (list 5 things)
5) When I was a child, I wanted to be… (list 3 things)
6) If it weren’t too late, I would… (list 3 things)
7) If money were not an object, I would… (list 5 things)
8) If my parents wouldn’t object, I would… (list 5 things)
9) These are the people I admire… (list 3 names)
10) These are the people I secretly admire… (list 3 names)
11) The world is in need of more… (list 5 things)
12) I think God wants me to be… (list 2 things)
And while you’re at it, make this last list:
The 10 Things You Accomplished This Year:
Really, it’ll make you realize how much you should be thankful for!
Lastly, I leave you with this. It’s a poster I made for a ‘live graphic design’ experimental project with Mr. Anthony Pangilinan in one of his talks:
