Here goes!
10. I can dress however I want.
I dress like a child half time time. My in-public wardrobe consists of the random things I pull out of the closet and random accessories I grab out of a box. If my clothes are ratty, it doesn't matter because I'm an artist and that's acceptable. People actually EXPECT me to dress weird/funky/originally because that's the stereotype surrounding artists. Because of my job, I can pull off the scruffy look and no one cares.
Like today, I am wearing a black shirt and cardigan and SUPER ripped up/destroyed jeans with a tattered belt, and two belts around my shirt because, hey, I like belts. Followed up by flip-flops, leather bracelet, random feathers hanging from a chain in my hair and sunglasses. HUGE metal flower on my necklace. Hair is up in a haphazard ponytail. And I'm meeting with three customers today... and they're all expecting me to look like this because crazy comes with the job.
This is how I look today. Would YOU be greeting customers like this and feel confident that they will like you BECAUSE of it?
9. I get to set my own schedule.
I decide what I want to do and when, within my deadlines, and how long I'm going to do it for. If I want to get up at 3am and work, I will. If I want to take a two hour break, randomly, I will. This allows me to schedule around things like hanging out with friends, housework, going to the gym, or family events. Because of that, I get a lifestyle that people always say they "don't have time for," because they work during the most opportune hours of the day. If I want to go to the gym in the afternoon so I still have time to do stuff in the evening, I will. I will work late at night or early in the morning when nothing is going on anyways. It really helps me keep up with life when I'm healthy and able to be around friends when I want to be.
8. I'm good at it.
I figure that's as good a reason to do something than anything else. I never struggle with what I do, I'm never nervous about something unknown or worried about being ignorant in some area of my jobs. I picked things that I'm well-rounded at and familiar with, and have always excelled at. I took the strengths in my abilities and turned them into a career. I can work with confidence every day and that reduces the stress that comes with any career or life.
7. I've been doing this since I was a child.
I've been drawing and writing stories since I could hold a pencil. I learned my alphabet and learned how to write long before kindergarten, and by the time I was in grade one I was writing at a grade five level, both in calligraphy and grammatical abilities. There was even talk of me skipping the second grade altogether because of it (though it never happened). I won art award after art award through school and was that kid who was asked to do anything drawing-related. I started music a bit later, when I was 10 as a piano player and then 13 as a guitarist and 14 as a drummer, so that's all been in my life for over 10 years. It's all familiar and fun territory that I grew up with. It's like the farm kids who grow up to take over their parents' farm. It's just natural.
6. I have a perfectly legitimate reason to avoid people all day.
Okay, so maybe it's not the MOST mentally healthy thing to do, but due to social anxiety there ARE days when I just don't want to talk to anyone or even see people. Luckily, I can just lock myself in my bedroom with music on and no one wants to interrupt me/thinks twice about the fact they haven't seen me all day because it's just common for me to work all day nonstop on a piece or on my novels. I can stay in a room for hours on end and play the drums because that's just normal. I have no obligation to go to an office or workplace... unless, of course, I'm meeting with a customer. But even non-anxious people are jealous of the ability to hide!
5. Writing = big vocabulary = impressed customers.
So customers expect me to look a little odd and ratty, but they also DON'T expect me to be well-spoken and highly educated. When they see that I am, they're impressed and business tends to go a lot better. People almost never assume, after their first meeting with me, that they can take advantage of me or pull the wool over my eyes because I come across as intelligent and knowledgeable. They know they can't cut corners or somehow scam me out of my fair share. Some people propose an awful "deal" over e-mail to start out with (do 5 pieces for the price of one and I will advertise you for free!) but it stops and reverses in a hurry when I talk business with them in my response.
4. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee is considered normal.
Simple enough. I LOVE coffee. I would drink it all day if it wouldn't kill me. But no one scolds me for drinking too much because, again, it's expected of me. It's fun to take advantage of stereotypes!
3. Part of my job consists of surfing the internet for fun facts.
Seriously, I get to waste hours on the internet just looking at articles that relate to my life and interest me, because I write about stuff that interests me and more often than not take an interest in my art subjects. I love music and have to continually look up exercises and information and artists. I spend hours researching and learning and I get paid to do it.
2. NO PANTS.
Uh... yeah, you guys already have multiple run-downs on this.
1. It makes me happy!
When I'm drumming I'm happy and motivated to push harder, and the music makes my soul so relaxed, no mater the genre I'm playing. When I'm drawing, I feel very quiet and focused and relaxed, which helps my anxiety. Writing helps me to explore myself and be peaceful. It's all very zen and awesome. It helps me psychologically and I enjoy everything I do. Even when I dislike some commissions, I still fall in love with the process. What other reason do I need to focus my life in that direction?
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