Don’t quit your day job…
June 8, 2011
I’m sure we’ve all heard this familiar phrase. With great pride we [fill in the blank], a grin on our face as we anticipate the encouragement of family & friends to pursue our dream, only to be met with, “don’t quit your day job.”
But, what if your day job makes your dream job possible?
As a full-time adventure program director, I get to do dreadful things like rock climb, train folks to be ropes course instructors, nordic ski with school students on beautiful winter mornings, watch the sunset from the top of our climbing tower. I know, rough stuff!
And then there’s this other thing I do that I love – I’m a photographer. Evidently I’m ok at it. People seek me out & pay me a lot of money to work for them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been encouraged to take my photography to the next level & shoot full-time. I love photography. You could say it’s my dream job.
So…why don’t I take the leap?
At this point in my life, my day job makes my dream job possible. I do what I love at camp, it meets my family’s needs, and it affords me maximum freedom as a photographer.
Freedom, you may ask? YES!
First of all, it gives me the ability to say no. With my day job covering our living expenses, I don’t have to worry that by not taking a photo assignment, my kids will go hungry, or our electricity will get shut off. I don’t have to haggle my rates simply because I need cash for a car payment. I don’t have to compromise just to get a gig. I can say no & walk away with no regrets, no empty stomachs, no repossessed cars, etc. I can go all year without a single paying gig & our family is still ok.
It also gives me the ability to say yes. Since I’m not relying on photography income for our daily provisions, I’ve had the freedom to gift my services as I’ve felt led. One year in particular, God blessed me with several assignments. Later that year, I became aware of a wedding where I knew the couple didn’t have a photographer & they had an extremely limited budget. I couldn’t shake it. I really felt God telling me to shoot their wedding for whatever they could afford… even if it was for nothing. I had the best time shooting their wedding. It was my way to give back for all God had brought me that year.
As far as what the future holds, I really don’t know. I love my day job, and I love my photography. At this point, I couldn’t ask for more.
