I’m in a similar boat where my career is something I enjoy, but I cannot deal with the people I’m working with. What I’ve found is that if you’ve got the time, doing little creative projects for friends/ people whose missions you support is a great way to build a portfolio and strengthen connections. You can do it for money or favors, either way you get the satisfaction from doing your work, the physical material to use if (or when) you start looking for employment elsewhere, and a better connection with the person you worked for so they’ll be more likely to bring you back for another project!
TL;DR - Freelance in your spare time, but don’t take a project you wouldn’t be proud to put your name on, don’t work for a person you wouldn’t want to be associated with, keep all that you can, and help bring others‘ missions into reality without sacrificing your own values!
3d ago
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as someone in the creative industry, its hard bc sometimes all i wanna do is throw myself into my passions and work so hard i get myself sick. but i’ve realized im not happiest when i work 50-60 hour work weeks (even if im fulfilled and having fun) i need the time and space for the things that fuel being creative: exercise, hiking, being with friends, playing dnd. This work is like breathing, you should try to find balance between breathing in and out. Creatives are often told that their work should become their job, but sometimes, it’s truly better for it be a side hustle or things that operate on a project to project basis.
I found it helpful to get connected with people who I admired and see what their days look like. Are they running around 24/7? are they constantly making work they actually don’t like bc it makes money? or are they dedicated to things they love and are fulfilled? or are they practically controlled by their work? Their day to day can be very similar to yours, so understanding if that would be an environment you would be happy in is very important.
I agree that volunteering is a good place to start, also gets you connected to the people who work in the industries yr interested in! Museum studies might be broad enough for you to also access some internships across a few industries which really give you great insight what working in various environments can be like for real. I will say working in an arts environment has been incredible for me, i feel truly myself and able to be who i am with very few masks on.
Oct 6, 2024
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I got a music degree and graduated into peak COVID in nyc. I had experience doing mixing/boom operation on some indie films and through knowing people on those sets I got tossed some PA gigs. it was mostly errand work and setting up sets, not too different from what I knew from high school theater and some recording studio internships I had. eventually just through meeting people on set I found myself doing PA work for fashion shoots, commercials, music videos (I make a brief appearance in a New Kids on the Block video), got a gig as the personal assistant to a fashion photographer, did some van/crew shuttle driving, and got to travel a bit for shoots. it wasn’t at all what I thought I would be doing but it was a good time.
only advice I can give is tap connections from other work experience you have and be down for whatever. there’s always stuff going on that people need help with and as long as you have basic competency it doesn’t super matter what your formal background is. you’re not a failure if you don’t land your dream job in your field right along the way, and theres value in broadening your experiences! be along for the ride, this job market is tough and having any kind of stable income is nice, especially if you dont mind the work
May 11, 2025
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i feel like this is the right place to ask
Jan 25, 2024
Top Recs from @haydenaugust
A website with a collection of screengrabs from nearly every movie you could think of, and you can sort by film title, director, cinematographer, year, genre, country, etc. Great for visual references for lookbooks, or just to discover a new film you might be interested in seeing!
I've attached one of my favorite stills, a great moment from Chungking Express (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 1994).
Dec 30, 2024
At my local indie cinema for a projection of the new Nosferatu, infinitely grateful I have a place like this I can go to see new stuff and incredible programming!
Dec 25, 2024
Just going out and picking up any kind of used physical media (books, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes) makes the archivist in me happy, like I’m preserving somebody else’s story/ enjoyment of something
My personal favorite thing is VHS tapes, I’ve got a decent collection (all thrifted) and they’re usually the cheapest things offered
Jan 3, 2025