WEEK 02 - #VoidDeckWriter: Full-Time Day Job, Full-Time Writer

Week 2. How are you all doing? Plan to read or listen to anything after this today?

Good.

We tend to ask various questions when meeting other people or friends, ranging from the usual - ‘How have things been?’ to something more intriguing - ‘When you play CLUE, which character do you root for to be the murderer?’. This typically happens after some surface-level introduction.

Mine?

“Oh! You’re a writer? Are you full time?”

And I think that’s something I’d like to address in this post.

As I was growing up, people around me have been drilling a few points to me - while most of them, I’ve grown to either ignore or understand that it was advice given from a particular era or school of thought, there was one that I continue to see today that irks me -

“You don’t have to be a full-time writer / artist / creator etc… No money one! You can always work a job that pays you a lot and then do all your writing / drawing on weekends.”

Now, I’m not going to argue about how the above-mentioned line is untrue - because there is a modicum of truth in it - but I am going to point out something that is undeniably erroneous, however you want to reframe it.

PART-TIME / SIDE JOB CREATOR

Let’s get this out of the way first - If you want to be a creator beyond the hobby phase, you are almost always a full-time creator. What’s important here is the intent - if you decide that you’re happy pursuing your creative interests as a hobby, that’s great! But if you want to make your creator-side a career, in the words of one of my business coaches, Joyce Gutierrez - having a full-time job doesn’t mean you become a part-time CEO.

Does this mean we sneak writing into the day job? Unless you count lunch hours (which are yours), no. Does this mean we stay up all night just to finish manuscripts and never sleep?

No.

Having the full-time day jobber, full-time creator mindset though, does mean affording the same amount of respect and acknowledgement over the small wins you have with your creative practice as you would your day job. This also affects the way you schedule and prioritise - day job, creative projects, or otherwise.

So own it. Tell people that you’re the creator if it makes you feel better, or even if you just want to spread the word on what you’re passionate about. You may be “part-time” in terms of time spent, but your energies certainly say otherwise.

If you’ve made it here, thank you so much for staying and reading through. Do you create with the intention of having it as a career, or a hobby? Click reply and let me know what you think =).

That’s it from the #VoidDeckWriter. Take care and see you all next week!

P/S - Know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Or interested to see what comes next? Subscribe and I’ll see you then!