Thanks everyone for all the good thoughts. This is truly a leap of faith for me. All my life I have avoided my creative side by talking myself into thinking that my work at SSA or for the AFL-CIO was creative and in small ways I was creative in my approach especially in my work as a fulltime union organizer. But when all was said and done I still had to color inside the lines and I have always had difficulty with that.
Working for the government is difficult and being creative is risky business uniformity is the only real way to accomplish anything read that as keeping your mouth shut long enough to get to a position where you can affect real change. Union work while considered anti-authority requires lots of patience and rule enforcement, yuk.
Be patient quinn1, keep on taking photos and you will get where you are going. I never thought I would get the courage to even try what I wanted to do let alone say it out loud in public.
Joanne, I have always worked hard for a living, usually involving manual skill and physical endurance - carpenter, roofer, warehouse jobs, etc. I have never had a job I felt to be my calling. I most likely never will, at my age. (I feel most at home typing. These big old rough fingers often smack two keys at once, slowing me down quite a bit. Eventually my few novels will be in the hands of editors. To be published or not to be published? It's out of my hands.) But I have the knowledge my current job is helpful to lots of people and I make friends with many of them. I usually get close to the ones who have no nearby family contacts because their need is greatest. One is a woman who just turned 90. I gave her a cassette tape of music for her birthday (She is a retired music teacher) and Friday gave her a second tape of organ music for Christmas. She has always played piano and organ, but cannot now that her fingers give too much pain. So she enjoys listening to others play now. I too would like to see examples of your painting. I have a brother who has the talent to make a living with his art, but for some reason has always contented himself managing stores - computer stores and the like. I am sure he will always have regrets for not taking that other path. Good luck.
Edgar
are you published yet?
I went a searching for a few things you mentioned and didn't find them.
Whether we are correct or not in our feelings, I think that so many of us feel that we are better suited for something else, and would derive a greater sense of satisfaction from that something else, if only we knew what it was.
I worked (off and on) for 16 years as a union stage manager in professional theater. I loved my work and knew that that was a rare thing. I hope to learn to love the next phase of my life as much.
So...Who really wants to grow up?
Not me!
