Who are you without your career title?
Can you describe what you do or what you want to do for a living without using job/career titles?
Driving home from my studio spotify automatically started playing the last podcast I was listening to. It was the mentoring episode of Michelle Obama’s podcast (Working Women: Valerie Jarrett and the Importance of Mentorship). Early in the episode Michelle reflects on her early years as a lawyer and says:
“I hadn’t really spent much time in my young life thinking beyond just chasing a career title. So for the first time in my life I had to actually get off this treadmill of what I was supposed to do and start thinking about what I wanted to do, what I was inspired to do and that led me to Valerie Jarrett”
What hit for me was the very first line. “I hadn’t really spent much time in my young life thinking beyond just chasing a career title”
Per usual I began to ask myself some questions:
· What career title are you chasing?
· How does the title “artist” enable me?
· How does the title “artist” become just another constricting career title to chase or box to tick off?
· Who am I without my career titles?
· How would I describe what I want to do and the impact I wish to have on the world without using job/career titles?
· How is this question or exploration reflective of my “why” or “purpose”?
· Why does any of this matter?
Then I thought I need to hurry home and write down the answers to these questions and explore this further for the benefit of documentation, myself, and others.
I welcome any opportunity to sit with myself in thought, especially that which influences my greater sense of self-identity. I have most recently been in deep thought about where I work currently, the art I have made and want to make, social media’s purpose and the act of making consumable content. I have been thinking about all of that in relationship to my “why” and for determining not just my next moves but how I move and ensuring that I stick to what brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment; satisfaction.
The title of “artist” can sometimes live under the guise of a role that is free of boundaries or a “track” like traditional career titles. But I think that is a false trap that can leave artists living under constraints they don’t even know are there. I’ll reflect more on this later.
Phillip Case Study:
So I presented the question to my husband Phillip.
Me: “Can you describe what you do or what you want to do for a living without using job titles?”
Phil: I teach at a college and draw comics.
Me: Okay that is a slick way of answering, let me be more specific. Can you describe what you do or what you want to do without the constraints of your job title? You just described what you did within your career titles but that does not reflect your why.
Phil: hmm okay, let me think…
Me: For me I could say for example, that I’m passionate about self-identity construction, and I genuinely enjoy helping others come to realizations about themselves because I have found great value from doing that work for myself. I can contribute to someone else’s identity construction via a multiple of career titles but the work itself is not dependent on the career title.
So for you, comics and being a comic artist is the vehicle, its your how but not your why. So you draw comics to do blank. Make sense?
Phil: okay okay. So I’m an educator and a storyteller.
Me: There we go now we are going somewhere.
*End of Phillip Case Study*
Identity construction has been a lifetime of work for me. Formally it has been a 4+ year journey of research, that continues to pull from my real-life experiences and observations in the past, present, and future I imagine. But overtime I have learned how my interests overlap and intersect. I have found that the common thread between them all is my desire to see Black and Brown people find themselves outside of the social constructs in our society and I want to see them find happiness and success in any and all of their endeavors. This takes acceptance, acknowledgement, mentorship, dialogue, learning, unlearning, and time to think and hopefully act on those thoughts.
How do you live outside of the constraints of your career title?
Who are you outside of the work you do or the job description you exemplify?
For the curious, here are my personal answers to the questions I posed above:
Q: What career title are you chasing?
A: I began chasing the career title of photographer around 2006. I then began chasing the career title of artist in 2013. In addition to artist, I recently fell into chasing the career title of Learning Experience Designer and Project Manager in 2019.
Q: How does the title “artist” enable me?
A: The career title of “artist” gave me a sense of authority that I could create and live a unique liberating creative lifestyle living off of my artwork. The title enables me to draw my own path prioritizing what makes me happy.
Q: How does the title “artist” become just another constricting career title to chase or box to tick off?
A: While not rejecting the career title of artist, I quickly learned long ago that choosing a life as an artist is that of an entrepreneur. I knew that chasing this title and career would be a long game that would require sacrifices and workarounds until I achieved the profitable and sustainable success with my art alone. Like any other career title, it has its constraints, its do’s and don’ts; its pros and cons. I’ve seen it shrink some artists and I’ve also seen it propel others who break beyond its nearly invisible constraints.
Q: Who am I without my career titles?
A: I am a deep thinker. I love to help others. I am very curious and ask a lot of questions. I like to observe, learn, and come to conclusions for myself. I analyze and overthink most things. I seek efficiency and encourage life against the grain. I have a lot to say and don’t always know the best way to share it. I have lots of passions and ambitions to not just help myself but help elevate others. I love to see my community win and break boundaries. I am daring. I am willing to make sacrifices. I am a habitual planner, coach, and map maker. I have a heart dedicated to impacting the spirits of my community in a way they feel compelled to share or pay it forward. I see the world differently. I communicate to and with light. I’m devoted to my culture, my ancestors, and connecting the dots of my identity and to the land.
Q: How would I describe what I want to do and the impact I wish to have on the world without using job/career titles?
A: I kind of answered this already. But more on impact, I hope to leave the Earth asking questions and imparting shared knowledge. I hope to impact the hearts of Black and Brown people by guiding them to see themselves for their whole self. I don’t always know the answers but I have a knack for asking the right questions and pushing the right buttons. I hope to encourage people to take their time to look into themselves and find parts of themselves everywhere. In the light, in the shadows, in the elements, and in others. Learning something knew and sharing the knowledge even if its about yourself is one of the most unique gifts we have to share. I wish to impact the world by sharing mine in hopes that someone chooses to do the same in their own way.
Q: How is this question or exploration reflective of my “why” or “purpose”?
A: The answers to these questions point to my why. They point to my purpose on this planet. Even though your answers and my answers may and are likely to evolve and change, asking these questions regularly keep us connected to living a life of our own and not of someone elses choosing. I try to align my ‘why’ with everything — where I work, where I shop, where I live, the art I make, the relationships I have, and the projects I take on. Knowing this makes it easier to say no, navigate the world, protect my energy, and take care of myself.
Q: Why does any of this matter?
A: In the quote mentioned above, Michelle Obama said she went from doing what she was supposed to do and started trying to do what she wanted to do or was inspired to do. When I think and ask myself what I want, my answers are then put up against my current actions, roles, and relationships. Immediately I can draw lines and say am I in line or not? We all have one life to live and it is so unbelievably valuable. Your career, or life in general may be influenced by loved ones, your community, the economy; etc. And that is fine. Influences can spark innovation and be great sources of motivation. But are those influences holding you back? Are they making you unhappy or feel confined? There are a million ways to do something if you allow yourself to step outside of the box or defined path you thought you needed. Life is short and fleeting. No matter your age its never too late or a wrong time to ask yourselves these questions. To ensure that you are living your life the best you can. Ensure that you are making an impact (if you want) even if it is just on one person or plant. I may be chasing the career title of artist, but I have identified at least 2 other ways outside of that career title to do what makes me happy and reflect my purpose. My career title is just the vehicle I have chosen to exercise my purpose, but I can have plenty of cars. It’s all about the driver in the car and where I’m trying to go and what I’m hoping to see along the way.
