"When I grow up I want to be...."

[Katuschka]

To the aspiring Egyptologists (because people always try to talk you out of the more interesting career paths): I took an Egyptology course in college, taught, of course, by an actual Egyptologist. So they exist! You can be one! And at least one of them is employed, too!

Of course they exist...in almost every faculty of arts.

[Medhb]

Yes, flame thrower is good too!

And for a wife I always wanted to be married to a sword swallower...

although I settled for an aerospace engineer instead.

I just knew sword swallower was going to come up.

Wow, an arospace engineer, impressive! Does she work for NASA? I met a friend on a Yoga retreat whose boyfriend worked for NASA, he was a real rocket scientist (is that the same as an aerospace engineer?) but she said he left because of the frustration of all the work he'd do on these HUGE projects and then never see them come to fruition...that would get frustrating...

[Medhb]

Good luck. However, there are plenty of talented people, but a VERY few artists who are SO talented that they don't need any guidance.

You're right...and even less that make a living at it. My neighbor is truly an artist and he's struggling. He had an opening in NYC, it's very hard to break into. He's probably going to end up teaching college art while he hopes to hit the right gallery, right dealer, clientele, etc.

[Puck Slapping Maple Sucker]

That's true. Most people don't end being what they dreamed of being when they were kids. Reality hits and you wind up settling (similar to who you end up with in relationships. You settle. You never meet your ideal girlfriend or boyfriend). I don't know many people that enjoy their jobs. It's sad. I wanted to be a hockey player or a movie star when i was a kid. Eventually i realized it was never gonna happen. It's one of the lousy parts of life.

What is the ideal boyfriend/girlfriend anyways?

[Katuschka]

What is the ideal boyfriend/girlfriend anyways?

A one million dollar question!

a) costom-made android

b ) someone how has qualities you admire

c) an actor/actress you desperately loved as a teenager

d) your parent

[Medhb]

What is the ideal boyfriend/girlfriend anyways?

OMG Puck! Why would you get Spats started?! We all know his ideal only exists in his mind and so does he...he's never going to find her!

OK, I'll be honest, when I was younger I always wanted a horse, that's all I cared about was horses and then I ended up working with racehorses.

Now, I'm an IT geek and I have a new dream: I want to be independently wealthy and instruct Yoga retreats on exotic islands

[Katuschka]

You're right...and even less that make a living at it. My neighbor is truly an artist and he's struggling. He had an opening in NYC, it's very hard to break into. He's probably going to end up teaching college art while he hopes to hit the right gallery, right dealer, clientele, etc.

That's why I gave it up, and chose another thing I enjoy instead.

[Puck Slapping Maple Sucker]

A one million dollar question!

a) costom-made android

someone how has qualities you admire

c) an actor/actress you desperately loved as a teenager

d) your parent

So, I guess it varies.

OMG Puck! Why would you get Spats started?! We all know his ideal only exists in his mind and so does he...he's never going to find her!

Opps! My apologies.

[rainydaywoman]

Of course they exist...in almost every faculty of arts.

Yeah, but people always try to dissuade you from going into that sort of field. My point is that people actually do hold those jobs and if you don't let people talk you into something "more practical" one day it could be you.

[Medhb]

So, I guess it varies.

Opps! My apologies.

Forgotten already Till Spats answers the question anyway

[Katuschka]

Yeah, but people always try to dissuade you from going into that sort of field. My point is that people actually do hold those jobs and if you don't let people talk you into something "more practical" one day it could be you.

I hope it will, because I actually do study in the faculty of arts. Not Egyptology, though.

[Virginia]

I wanted to be an actress when I was little I was in a couple of school plays, and then lost interest. My current job is wonderful though; I love what I do and the people I work with.

I'd secretly love to go back to school full time for a degree in nutrition, and work with kids with ADD/ADHD. I put an MBA on hold when my daughter came along, so I will be getting a master's in something, someday!

[Virginia]

To the aspiring Egyptologists (because people always try to talk you out of the more interesting career paths): I took an Egyptology course in college, taught, of course, by an actual Egyptologist. So they exist! You can be one! And at least one of them is employed, too!

You could also use that in the tourism industry

[Bonham]

... just like you!

[Roxie]

I'm coming to the sad conclusion that almost everyone ends up doing a job that in no way coincides with the dream they had for themeselves with they were young - convenience and money seem to become the greater priority..

My ambition is still to be a writer

That was my ambition for the longest time. I wrote and wrote and wrote when I was younger... poems, novels, etc. Now I find myself more drawn to graphic design, but still haven't done anything about it.

[spats]

A one million dollar question!

a) costom-made android

b ) someone how has qualities you admire

c) an actor/actress you desperately loved as a teenager

d) your parent

I would say B is the closest you came to. They should have all the qualities you admire in a person, they should not have the qualities you dislike in a person. , and they should have the looks you have alway desired.

[Dzldoc]

I would say B is the closest you came to. They should have all the qualities you admire in a person, they should not have the qualities you dislike in a person. , and they should have the looks you have alway desired.

when I grow up I want to be a pain in the ass!

I wanted to play Professional Baseball, was an allstar pitcher in Highschool but steroids were not as readily available.

Then I thought I wanted to be an Archeologist like Indiana Jones but mom and dad couldn't afford tuition.

I had aspired to be a writer but alas eating is an esential to sustain life.

Some jobs I've had~

counter service at summer camp consession stand.

Kitchen worker at a restaraunt.

Grounds Maintenance

Roofer

Pipefitter/welder

Commercial Shrimper

Automotive/Diesel Technician

[Cactus]

I tried it out for a while, but just as usual, the structure of it all just didn't work for me. I'm too independent in spirit to allow people to tell me what to do when it comes to that. Maybe it's a bad attitude.. but I can't help but think that 'those who can't do, teach'. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars that I don't even have yet, to go to school to learn skills that I would rather discover and develop on my own time.

As I said in my original post on this topic - one of the mistakes new writers/artists make is to believe that their 'talent' is enough. It is not. You have to be prepared to put in the hard yards. You may not agree with the point of view of the teachers, but that does not mean you won't learn anything. If you believe that you can learn it all on your own, you will quickly reach a ceiling of limitations. We need other people to open our horizons.

Do not use 'independence' as an excuse not to do something. It will get you nowhere. Become a voracious consumer of all art, think critically about it and apply what you learn to your own work. You will learn more from an artist you hate than from one you love, because they will help you define your own tastes.

One of the biggest shortcomings of many creative artists is ego. Ego is the enemy of any artist. There is nothing wrong with confidence, but I have seen people cripple their creative instincts and their careers due to their rampant ego. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are better than anyone else. Until you have a career, your work is recognised or awarded, and a lot of people like your work, you need to remain humble. You are a student of art - whether you study it in a formal setting or not.

[Sugarplum]

^^Thanks for that:) Those are some wise words, which I'll keep in mind. I do realize that I have to remain humble, and not put the cart before the horse. I have to build up and become confident in my skills before I can expect to be recognized for my efforts. It's easy to sometimes think that I am a spectacular artist with all of these original ideas which I should be receiving praise for, but in reality I haven't created much to show for myself. I'm constantly trying to keep myself in check, so that I don't end up in a rut, and never really grow when it comes to creativity. Thanks again for the advice.

[Del Zeppnile]

I just knew sword swallower was going to come up.

Wow, an arospace engineer, impressive! Does she work for NASA? I met a friend on a Yoga retreat whose boyfriend worked for NASA, he was a real rocket scientist (is that the same as an aerospace engineer?) but she said he left because of the frustration of all the work he'd do on these HUGE projects and then never see them come to fruition...that would get frustrating...

No not NASA, she works for a major defense contractor -- bombers and onboard weapon systems and other cool shit like that.

But her stuff is getting used a lot right now...

and I don't think any yoga is involved.

[Cactus]

^^Thanks for that:) Those are some wise words, which I'll keep in mind. I do realize that I have to remain humble, and not put the cart before the horse. I have to build up and become confident in my skills before I can expect to be recognized for my efforts. It's easy to sometimes think that I am a spectacular artist with all of these original ideas which I should be receiving praise for, but in reality I haven't created much to show for myself. I'm constantly trying to keep myself in check, so that I don't end up in a rut, and never really grow when it comes to creativity. Thanks again for the advice.

Having said that - don't lose confidence in yourself and your abilities and don't think just because someone is older than you they know better than you.

[Sugarplum]

^^Haha, okay, I'll keep that in mind too. Or maybe not.. now I don't know whether or not to listen to you Just kidding. But really, I'm happy someone offered some advice. I like to think I'm not the type of person to blindly accept things too quickly. I take in other people's opinions, but then I take a lot of time to ponder situations on my own, and decide on what only I can know is best for me.

[lucyinthesky]

The list of what I wanted to be is so long.

It includes: Astrophysican, Astronaut, Historian, Archeologist, fashion designer, Mechanic...

It's time left for me until I have to decide, but in the moment I dream of being a musician (studying viola, jazz guitar and violin, maybe piano) or a writer or a hobo...

I think in the end it will be the musician, because my parents would rather die than see me as a hobo.

I don't care for money money can't buy me love. That's what I think about jobs.

[led_zep_girl_92]

When I was a little girl at the age of five I wanted to become a firefighter, a superhero or a viking.

Right know, at the age of fiveteen, I´d like to become a journalist or a teacher.

But the best would be, if I earn enough money with doing, what I like to do: Writing. No matter, if I write poems or for a newspaper(What I already do; I`m working for our schoolnewspaper)

I don´t want to spend forty years of my life or even more with something boring everyday, the best job is a job you really like to do, and not just for the money.

[Cactus]

^^Haha, okay, I'll keep that in mind too. Or maybe not.. now I don't know whether or not to listen to you Just kidding. But really, I'm happy someone offered some advice. I like to think I'm not the type of person to blindly accept things too quickly. I take in other people's opinions, but then I take a lot of time to ponder situations on my own, and decide on what only I can know is best for me.

I know what it's like to choose a career which has no guarantees of security, money or anything else (I work in film). The reactions most family/friends had and still have is that it's not a 'real job' or they say 'how hard it is' or some other rubbish. The fact of the matter is I know that this is the right job for me, and while it may be more difficult and less secure than many other jobs, I would be miserable doing anything else.

Some people just don't/can't understand why you would want to do something creative. Some people think if you aren't wielding a hammer or being an accountant, you're not doing something worthwhile. Don't listen to the dream-crushers, they are either ignorant or jealous.