Owning It (Or, Coming Out of the Career Closet)

Two years and three weeks ago, I quit my stable, average job. I quit to pursue writing and film-making, two things I cared about. I quit after forcing myself to stay longer than I wanted to, because telling people you’re a “writer/filmmaker” before you’ve made the kind of films they’ll see at a multiplex can feel a little, well... embarrassing.

But I did finally quit and have been, over the past two years, gradually becoming the writer/filmmaker I set out to be. So why was it that up until recently, my Facebook and LinkedIn pages didn’t say anything about it? At least, not in my ‘employment’ info section. (Under hobbies and projects, fine.)

Well, it goes back to that embarrassment mentioned above - and owning one’s choices. 

It’s not hard to get the sense that when people ask you what you do and you answer “writer/filmmaker,” they’re secretly thinking you’re an unemployed flake. Of course, that might just be insecurity talking, but a lot of people, when I’m at that point in a conversation, will start to say things like “Do you have a day job?”, “Yeah, but what do you do for money?”, or “Oh, I wish I made more time for writing, but it’s hard with my job.”

For the record, I have a part-time job, a small business, and several standing freelance gigs with weekly deadlines - which can all feel like having more than one full time job, especially when balanced with my number one priority: my writing/filmmaking career.

Having numerous smaller jobs in place to help support a creative career offers an easy out when someone asks the “what do you do?” question and I don’t want to get into what sometimes feels like an apology/explanation for my choice not to have a standard 9 to 5... instead, I can say “I work at a publishing company,” or “I own a small business,” because these things are also true, and generally better accepted. But, saying them really doesn’t tell people who I am - because I’m a writer/filmmaker, and, at any time of day, writing and filmmaking are on my mind.

So a few months ago I looked at my LinkedIn page... because employment ONLY listed my small business and said nothing about writing/filmmaking, which felt very out-of-whack.

I realized I needed to put it out there, to everyone, without feeling shy about it. I imagined former employers and “frenemies” reading my page and being snide about it - but then I thought, “Hey - I can’t own their career choices, but I can own mine - and I’m happy about the choices I’ve made.” There’s no reason to feel shy about what I’m doing in my life. I’m doing it because it gives me a feeling of pride and accomplishment.

And so, I changed my career info.

And I was rewarded. I was flooded with invitations from other writers and filmmakers looking to connect. What’s more, people looking to hire a writer took notice and I was contacted for new job opportunities.

About two weeks ago, I went ahead and added it to my Facebook info, as well. 

It’s like coming out of the career closet. My friends and fellow writers/filmmakers knew, but most other people didn’t. I wonder how many people, when they answer that “What do you do?” question with “respectable” answers, wish they could say they do something else? It’s easy to get stuck with labels from a job that might not fit who we are - yet it becomes how others see us.

Own who you are and what you want to do. Own it 100% and go for it with all that you can. Great things will come of it.

If you don’t believe me, just wait until my next post... I have a great update in progress.

I'm Sara McDermott Jain, and I'm a writer and a filmmaker… and in 3 years of having this blog, that's the first time I've ever posted my full name.