My dad told me to forget about art school and get a real job. He was right, but it still stings.

When I was 18, I got accepted to a good art school in Chicago. I wanted to be an illustrator. My dad sat me down and said, 'You'll never make a living. You need a steady paycheck.' I listened, went into accounting, and yeah, I have a stable life now. But sometimes I pull out my old sketchbook and see the stuff I drew back then. I wonder what would have happened if I took that risk. Part of me thinks he saved me from a hard life, but another part feels like I gave up a piece of myself. Has anyone else followed 'good' advice that worked out, but left you wondering about the path you didn't take?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyj1117d ago

Ever think about going back to it now?

pat_jenkins17d ago

Honestly, I tried picking it back up last year. What helped was setting a stupid small goal, like just five minutes a day. Sticking with that tiny habit got me over the initial hump of feeling rusty.

hollyl2516d ago

Five minutes a day? That's all it took for you, @pat_jenkins? I'm honestly shocked that such a small amount of time made a real difference. I always figured you needed at least a solid half hour to get anything done.