I spent most of my time in high school trying to prove that I was serious; serious about my work, serious about what I got involved in, serious about my career.

In a graduating class filled with future scientists, engineers, doctors and politicians, it was a struggle to have my aspirations taken seriously. As a creative, I was told that the career I wanted to pursue was unrealistic and frivolous, but I came to understand that we can’t let ourselves be held back by any attitude of doubt.

I have always been an artist. I fell in love with music in elementary school and kept up with choirs and orchestras throughout my education. I adored self-expression, performing, writing and illustrating. Since then, I have wanted to be a part of the things that brought me so much joy, to understand the moving parts, to make something new. 

Despite my enduring interests, my love for the arts was often only appreciated as a hobby, not seen as a real career prospect. In one instance, I was at a session for academic advice where I asked the speaker about how to have a strong application for pursuing a degree in music with the intention of working in music business. His response was an immediate snub, telling me that a college education wasn’t really necessary to do what I wanted and that I would have a hard time making a living anyway. He quickly dismissed me as not being serious about getting into competitive universities and making the most of my career.  

Even though I knew that I wanted the college experience and expertise, even though I knew what I wanted to do, at that moment I questioned my own aspirations. I wondered if I really wasn’t cut out for academia, if I was really making the right choice by pursuing this field that I cared about.

As a child in a lower middle class family, big dreams tended to share room with financial worries. Art was seen as a beautiful thing that we would eventually be priced out of. My parents have always wanted the best for me, for me to do something I enjoy, but there was always the expectation that my future should at least be something guaranteed to pay the bills.

In today’s world, we place personal value on art and creativity, but we don’t place actual money on it. If you were like me growing up, you certainly have heard the term “starving artist” thrown around. It’s often the rebuttal to a pipe dream you tentatively share with someone else, the inevitable shut down to an impossibility reserved for the elite, lucky few.

Choosing a creative career has long been synonymous with choosing to be poor, to waste our time. As artists, we are considered part genius, part fool. I have faced that judgment from people who don’t understand why I would willingly work towards something that won’t be paying me back anytime soon. 

However, this mentality towards artists only serves to hold us back, something I discovered when I became involved with journalism in high school. For the first time in my life, my interests were seen not as a hobby or a distraction from a “serious career.” Suddenly, I was in a space that respected creatives, I was empowered to not only pursue my art, but to improve, to apply my skills to advertising, management, publishing, production and entrepreneurship. 

When I was finally pushed to explore the possibilities of a creative career, I found that there were so many more opportunities out there than I had been led to believe. I began managing an organization’s social media platform, making graphics and copy writing, speaking with industry professionals and attending workshops that taught me about pitching ideas, leading teams and financing art. 

It reaffirmed that dream I had conceived as a child, not only encouraging me to pursue my art, but the things that could make such a career sustainable and enterprising. I was able to combine my interests, both old and new, and come to Whitman College to get an education in both music and economics.

We can’t spend too much time being limited by the expectations and judgements of others. It’s just holding us back. Success doesn’t have one particular face, identity or career. It is about having drive and determination and a desire to do better tomorrow than you did today. It is finding fulfillment in the life you are leading.

So be a starving artist. Be a creative. Be a dreamer. But don’t just stop at that. Be hungry for opportunity and learning, think outside of the box and combine creativity with intelligence and ingenuity. 

Take yourself seriously and the rest of the world will start taking you seriously too.