The question is: how do you make a living doing what you love?
A second question is, why is this such an issue? In particular, I’m considering the ‘what you love’ category to be about one of the arts, rather than something with an established career path. There are known, established ways to become a psychologist; and you can’t do it any other way. Most musicians don’t go to conservatory and most artists don’t go to art school. They have to make it on their own — and many of the most successful come through some ‘unofficial’ method. If you make it to art school or conservatory the chances are you had some support and started reasonably young. What about all the people who were conned out of their dreams?
And how exactly how does this happen?
There used to be a book called World Military and Social Expenditures, which demonstrated that by a factor of about 20 to 1, our society spends its money on the military; that is, on manufacturing death. Can you imagine how much in the way of art, food, health care and humanitarian aid you could get for $8 billion per month (our current Iraqi and Afghani war budgets, not including the normal military budget)? [In numerals, that is $8,000,000,000.00 per month.] There is something here about cash flow, and something about our values as a society. Both of these guide our consciousness in the direction of both military values and budgets; we all have to pull our weight to support this incredible outpouring of energy, which basically goes nowhere; and in truth these are not the things that most people love.
To get here, we all go through an indoctrination process, mostly in school, that guides our feelings and experiences in the direction of giving up creativity, curiosity and passion and adopting another set of values.
Our parents rarely help us become who we want to be. They are occasionally supportive but I’ve spent most of my astrological career deprogramming people from the negativity of parents toward the true desires of their kids, who often become dissatisfied adults often wondering where their lives went.
The people who survive this multiple level indoctrination with some of their values and authenticity intact find themselves in a world extremely difficult to harmonize with. If you then look at the modes of ‘creativity’ that are rewarded in the world — a quick run through the cable television channels will reveal that — you see that it has nothing to do with authenticity. I just stumbled into an atrocity called Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, which is so vicious and grotesque I won’t even comment on it further.
There is one last thing: the ability to explore and express yourself yourself some species musician, actor, artist, and to develop that talent, has nothing in common with the ability turn that into money. Between the ability reach into yourself dive into an introspective place and create that into a mode of expression; and the ability to offer that for sale or create it into a business is a gulf so wide it’s incredible anybody ever makes it across.
All in all this would qualify as a hopeless situation. I don’t speak in theory. As an astrologer, I’ve heard stories arising from this general area of crisis for 15 years, and done my best to work with the clients who feel trapped here. This, as I work out my own dreams and creative desires along the way. There are ways out: there are ways to freedom. The chart has clues that point the way, and that way is individual for each of us. What they have in comment is the necessity of having guts, faith and creating support for what you’re doing. Along the way, whether we ‘succeed’ or ‘fail’, one result is self-knowledge, and that certainly helps move us along the way.
As for that Aries Moon, I’ll catch you in the morning. But note, at the moment it is square Pluto — a feeling of the lone wolf.
Eric,
Thank you for always being so in tune, and for having the balls to say what needs to be said.
Lately, when things feel overwhelming (often..thanks eclipses) I’ve found myself coming to Planet Waves to read your words, knowing that they will hold some truth, knowledge, understanding, and compassion in relation to what we are all undergoing as a larger collective. Thank you for really seeing, feeling, and sharing with authenticity the changes and struggles of our humanity at this time.
I am so incredibly grateful for the work that you do. It is a joy to support you, and to share your work with others.
All of the best and love to you.
xo
Katy (in Seattle)
I have to say that it is beyond astonishing that almost every time I read something from this site – whether it’s an article written, a story, or a horoscope – it is EXACTLY what I am thinking about, going through, or living. I honestly don’t even know what to think about it anymore… With that said, this is a very important subject to give light to because in essence, we are all creative beings born from the Creator. When somewhere along the way most of us become disconnected from this as who we are in exchange for a more tedious uniform, unvarying, or generic way of being. Just as we we inherit the dysfunctions and prison-like ideologies of the material world in our upbringing of it, as creative artists we give voice to the souls of this world. We take in us this world to give back to it, much like the organic and creative life processes of nature. But for some reason or another, the career path of the artist is the most unlikely choice for financial stability or even guarantee. As an artist, I am relieved to know that we have the opportunity and a platform to have dialogue over this issue, but I am sad about the reality of it. I can only hope that the trust and faith that is a primary part of the creative process can eventually create this financial stability and guarantee as well.