Finding your dream career for creatives

Being a creative person can make finding a career tricky! There is so much you want to learn, there is a lot you can do. It can be exciting, but it’s also a little overwhelming to figure out. It can feel limiting to choose a career when you love doing so many things.

So what’s a creative to do?

Here’s the thing that no one ever told you: you don’t have to label yourself as one thing. In fact, I recommend trying a lot of things as hobbies. Is there something that’s calling you? An interest you’ve always admired, but haven’t tried?

Some of you might be reading this, waiting for the part where I explain what this has to do with a career.

The best advice I’ve read is something like this:

Don’t find a calling, find your theme.

What I mean is this: define who you are (your personality) as opposed to what you are (a job title).

Are you the person everyone wants advice from? Do you like helping people and it’s something you find you do in all facets of your life? Then perhaps you’re a consultant, you like to give information to people and that’s part of your personality. Perhaps you enjoy nutrition too. Take those different things and look for ways to work in the industry you like, with your natural abilities.

These aren’t things you need to try to figure out because they are YOU. If you need help with this, see my article on personality types. It can really help!

I like helping people, innovating, and creativity. There are a lot of different ways I use this for fun and work. My experience and interests show that I enjoy the creative industry and I like to help other people achieve beauty. I think putting beauty out there can make a big difference to help people. It can also give entrepreneurs confidence in their products when it is used for branding. I use these interests in many ways that don’t seem related, but they all have the same theme: photographer, teacher, consultant, blogger, support representative for clients with creative needs, and more.

Some questions that might help you:

What do people come to me for? What am I constantly talking about?
Are there some themes you have never noticed?

What are my natural talents according to my family and friends?
This is important because others see you more objectively than you see yourself.
You might lack confidence in abilities that they can see.

What are some things I like to do that keep my interest for hours?
What is something I enjoy so much that I have to remind myself to eat while I’m doing it?

I would love to hear your answers to some of these! Let me know if this is helpful!