When I was going through the dreadful process of applying to universities during my last year in high school, I was trying to get advice from anyone and everyone. A lot of people told me to apply to a handful of universities so that I would have options; on the flip side, people told me to only apply to the programs that I really liked and that I would consider my top three. This all sounded reasonable but the advice that really bothered me was when people told me “Just do what you love.” High school me was like “HECK YEAH, I SHOULD DO WHAT I LOVE!” and so I realized I freakin’ loved Graphic Design. I applied to the Graphic Design program which was my number one choice – and guess what, I GOT IN!
Just kidding, I didn’t. I didn’t get accepted to the thing that I was “supposed” to do for the rest of my life because I loved it.
What happens then? What do you do when you don’t get into your number choice? Well, I quit. I was told by someone in a professional setting that I was ultimately not good enough to practice my hobby so I just kind of stopped. I spent most of my time concentrating on my university degree that explores the importance of being creative but not exactly practicing creativity.
Enough about my life and moving on to advice time. Don’t take your side projects lightly and don’t drop your hobbies when coming to university. Little successes can brighten your life. When I had quit my hobby, I felt like a box of crapola. I realized how self-sufficient I felt when I was creating something. Better yet, now I get paid to do my hobby. My favourite quote of all time is:
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”
– Jessica Hische
I also want to reiterate that if you’re currently in a program or working a job that you don’t love, it’s okay. That’s why hobbies are important because hobbies will help reduce stress and spark passion into your life. Oh, and yes, watching Netflix is totally a hobby.
