So about a month ago, after literally years and years of wading through the waters of self-doubt and self-discovery, I finally graduated college. Despite the climate of the post 2008 economy, I felt that my work ethic, positive attitude, and studio art degree would land me a decent junior design position by now. This being said, I feel that I am a mature and realistic person so I haven’t been very surprised that after a month of applications, a few interviews and call backs, I have still yet to receive any offers.
Now my instincts as a cautiously optimistic pessimist were urging me to find a corner in my room to cry, feel sorry for myself and wonder why I wasn’t good enough to make it as a lowly entry level graphic designer. My professors, friends, family and even random acquaintances were feeding me affirmation that I will “make it” sooner or later.
But what is “making it” in today’s economy and modern culture. I am pretty sure that I am part of the last generation that will remember the old paradigm or outdated Making It Equation:
4 years of college = job x 20 years + 3 to 4 promotions = family, house and making it.
If that equation doesn’t exist anymore I am sure it has to be dying. I would say that the equation now looks one of 2 ways depending on how you want to approach it.
6 plus years of college plus student loans = minimum wage job
or
College/No College plus hustle minus traditional career thinking = “Creating Your Own Experience.”
Creating your own experience is by no means an original idea, especially today. But at least for me, this concept was always a side concept or something to do in addition to(insert traditional career job here). As an early 30 something milennial the 80's baby version of myself has always clinged onto the idea that I need a steady 9 to 5, a boss, and a water cooler to talk around to prove to my family and friends that I’ve made it. Throughout my 20's, while I was desperately trying to hold on to this notion, I was creating my own experiences on the side without fully realizing it. I started a club basketball team when I was 18, co-founded an arts and culture magazine when I was in my mid 20's and started my own detective agency when I was 7(okay that wasn’t in my 20's but you get the point.)
I am starting to ask myself why does the experience I create for myself always have to be the side gig? In today’s modern western world, I am lucky enough to be part of a group of humans through technology, social media, and opportunity to be whatever I want, to manufacture virtually any career I want to create for myself.
As a result, will I be keeping my eyes open for a regular 9–5? Yes, idealism doesn’t pay the bills or put food in my belly. But while I am doing that I am going to let my side projects be my main projects. I have started my own design and illustration studio here. I plan to continue to write about these experiences here on this platform and a series of blogs & podcasts are in the works among other things.
In short I am going to stop hoping someone gives me some work experience, I am going to create my own. It won’t be easy and I am sure I still will find a corner to cry in relations to creating my own experience, but either way it should be fun.
