Think Piece: Creative Fulfilment
There probably isn’t anyone out there who hasn’t considered the possibility of someday making their hobby into a living. Growing up with Disney films and fairy tales created a generation that believed all dreams came true. As we got older, the Disney dream set itself on fire and from its ashes a new phoenix was born: the Millenial Side Hustle.
Well, not the definition of “Millenial Side Hustle” that means “another unfulfilling side job to help with the bills” but rather that of a passion project that can eventually be monetised.
Now our dreams have become a little more realistic: we keep the day job or we stay in school, and in our free time we do the thing we actually want to do. Some sell their illustrations or fashion designs on e-commerce shops, have consulting businesses, or are trying to make it as social media stars. There are endless gaps in business that young people have filled up (thank you, Internet!) in order to gain personal fulfilment in their lives. Sometimes it flops; sometimes it’s the golden ticket to freedom from corporate hell.
But until that moment comes, the daily grind continues. It feels like keeping a day job solely to pay the bills is already a common attitude in the conversation about working for money or passion. Alongside that comes the expectation that we don’t need to enjoy it because we’re still waiting for our lives to begin once our passion projects finally take off.
But is it healthy to view a day job as something that shouldn’t give you inherent joy?
In this issue, we wanted to showcase professionals who both agreed and disagreed with this statement. Take Japanese street fashion icon Misako Aoki for example: nurse by day, Lolita fashionista by night. She famously balances the two full-time careers with seemingly no desire to quit either despite her successes in both. For her, having a day job is just as fulfilling as her creative pursuits.
On the other hand, DJ and freelance blogger Samantha Mariko and our own Choom quit their day jobs to turn their influencer status and creative entrepreneurship skills into their main job. Starting out working as a teacher in Japan to becoming the editor-in-chief of her own fashion magazine, Choom was eager to leave the desk behind.
But now we want to turn this question out to the community. Should there be a complete separation between our work lives and creative lives? What would the ideal balance look like for you?
Let us know what you think! And be sure to tag your best corporate kawaii looks on Instagram with our hashtag #thecommoffline!
Written by Ecre.
Image courtesy of Gabrielle Amontree via Twenty20.