Hi all! So new year, new flavours of pandemic, new challenges and new futures. Yes, I know it's March, that's why I didn't add "here's to" . Honestly, my life is a bit turned upside down these days. I think mostly because of my decision to make a career shift towards the artistic spectrum to try to make a living out of that.
So, how does one go about implementing said newly chosen career path? One goes online and starts to use Instagram. Before you smirk even further at that previous sentence, note that I am 42 years old, have not used Instagram before, and am most likely outdated by the preferred method of socials these days - I dunno, TikTok or something.
I did learn a lot though. I've had serious chats with random strangers from all over the world. Usually, I get asked 1) Where I'm from (Amsterdam), 2) How old I am (still 42), and 3) To send them a picture of myself. Mind you, I'm not against sending pics. But I do usually follow through on the first question, where I draw a little map of Europe. Apparently, that doesn’t always hit home, so I usually continue along asking questions in subterfuge mode, i.e. What time is it where you are now? *I can hear someone furiously hitting Google maps at this point*
But the thing is: I have chosen a life where I choose to be an emerging artist. With all of the benefits (none so far), and all of the feelings of freedom while chasing what you really love doing in life. I can have lots and lots of fun keeping people occupied who try to sell me things online (and they often succeed, because, for example: I am typing this in a leopard print love baby of a snuggie and a bathrobe), but the fact is that I don't know what I am doing. I've never tried it before, but I'm doing it.
And then I see how easily we simply accept that life stops after 10pm these days.
I spoke with a random 21-year-old stranger on the train home, back from a rehearsal with my band, and I caught myself asking him: How is this normal to you? How do you grow, how do you meet people? How do you get in trouble? How do you emerge, as a new adult, in a world which is mostly digital? When I was his age, my life was strange, I thought. But I have the feeling that this generation is one-upping me in that aspect. I just hope they can emerge as themselves and chase their dreams.
The world needs artists. In whatever form they choose to take.