The Self-Inflicted Curse of Creativity

And How to Cure It

I sat there in my advisor’s office, a freshman still wearing the heavy burden of “undecided” after one full year in college.

Summer was coming and I still unsure about which major would better prepare me for the “real world.”

Thanks to a childhood filled with endless comic books and countless hours of doodling, I had narrowed my choices down to:

• A BFA in Visual Communications (a fancy way of saying graphic design)
• A BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis on painting

After weighing the pros and cons, my advisor decided to cut the shit and ask me a few questions:

“How important is creative freedom?”

Umm, I’m never really thought about it. I mean, I’d rather help people solve their problems then have complete control.

“Do you like working with people?”

Of course! I’m an extrovert who loves being around others. Why wouldn’t I want to work with other people?

“Do you care about making money?”

Uhh, it’s not the most important thing, but if I do have a family, I want to be able to put food on the table. I’m not…