Since I was a kid, I dreamed to become someone who would change the world - or at least change part of the world. I still dream about it every once in a while, but most people would say “please be realistic.” My mom used to have a Fujifilm camera; she adored taking photographs of her beautiful daughters during our wonderful adventures. I remember her taking photographs of us, and somehow it inspired me to say, “I want to become a photographer and help people around the world” to every adult who asked me "what do you want to be when you grow up." I still want to become a photographer and my younger self still shines through. But now, everything is about studying a relevant major and making money. It infuriates me the fact that no one has the opportunity to become whoever they want to be in life due to this emphasis on the number of zeros written on their paychecks. Our millennial generation should focus more on what we enjoy doing in life. In one of my previous articles Why Is Being An Artist Hard?, I wrote about this whole concept of how I can't enjoy making my art, but I've recently learned that I was wrong about that.
Recommended for you
When I started taking art classes and my design professor would leave us with projects due in a week, it was frustrating, but it was part of the whole process of my chosen major. Being part of the art scene isn’t easy at all, but it has its fun sides too. That being the case, if you're pursuing an art career, don't worry about it so much. Recently, I’ve been non-stop watching YouTube videos during my free time. At one point, I came across an account named “New Age Creator.” This YouTube channel consists of five creators who enjoy creating little videos every weekday; their goal is to bring people from all around the world together through the sheer enjoyment of creativity. One specific video got my attention, which was “Fear of Failure” by Marie Jacquemin. I consistently watch her videos because I deeply identify with her, and it makes me happy to know someone else feels the same way I do. I'm glad there's someone out there creating videos about this topic because I need someone to remind from time to time that I'll be okay. I read some of the comments, and many young artists felt the same way I do. Totally relatable I guess?
I instantly identified with it because yes - I am terrified of failure, but I’ve recently learned how to handle this feeling. No one should constantly be frightened of failure; at the end of the day we should use failure as a learning method. Whenever I seem to not care while I create something; the better the outcome. This never ceases to amaze me. I’ve been enjoying the whole process of creating art and not caring at all. A penny for a thought, trust me! Don’t over think the process or how it’s going to turn out - just enjoy it because that’s what matters at the end of the day. Play around with new techniques and try any kind of art form you always wanted to. I found this video genuinely inspiring because it gave me a wake up call and showed me that I should definitely not care. Famous artists didn't become notorious out of nowhere; they learned from their mistakes and practiced. If you ever feel like a failure, just remember how Tina Fey worked at the Y.M.C.A and Oprah gotfired from her first job as a TV reporter. During my second semester, I decided to look for a job because nowadays everyone needs about thirty years of experience. I applied for a student assistant position at Media Services at Miami Dade College, and working there has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. When I started working as a part- time student assistant, I made tons of mistakes, which is normal for anyone starting to work. Working in a professional atmosphere made me realize that this is what I wanted; I also learned the importance of learning from my many errors. I learned that it's okay to make mistakes from time to time. Now, it's time to go out there and create!
