For Your Consideration: Following Your Dreams

By Lev Novak

Every Wednesday, we consider something you so you don’t have to. Disagree? Do the opposite. You’re an adult.

So; should you follow your dreams?

You don’t really want to be a social media intern forever, do you? That’s a step in a life, not a result. But where is it? Where are you trying to go with this?

Let me guess; you want a career in music, acting, or writing. Maybe filming. One of the arts, at least. So the question remains: should you follow your dreams?

Pop culture is split. On the one hand you get the success stories and the “follow your dreams” message everywhere, but recently, in the wake of the reception, we’ve seen a backlash against any sort of dreaming or ambition. Entitled kids, they yell. Get a job! Cut your hair! Stop reading the great articles at uCribs.com and get back to your unpaid internship!

So what is it? If you don’t pursue your dream, you might not find your fulfillment or your greater talent or purpose at large. You might always wonder “what if” if you throw yourself into a reasonable world of work and bills. On the other hand, if you don’t go to the real world, you might end up in your parents basement until twenty-eight. We wouldn’t like that. Ucribs has a vested interest in getting you a crib.

So, then, let me propose something: you are misunderstanding your dreams. If you’re dream involves anything famous: being in the NBA, being in movies, being a rock star, whatever- first, examine why that’s so. If you’re focusing more on the “rich and famous and adored” part of the daydream, guess what? That’s not a real dream. Wanting to be rich and famous isn’t a career path; it’s a familiar, common American vice, and it’s the same one that allows reality T.V. to infiltrate our lives. Don’t aspire to a specific life of wealth and fame, as you’re sure to be disappointed.

Recalibrate your dream instead. You want to be in movies; would you be happy to be in cheap, grad-student productions? Not a bad one, but one unlikely to move you forward. One that pays you, say, $250 a week plus free lunch every day you’re on set. That’s not a living or a job, but it’s a start, and it’s awesome. That’s part of living your dream.

Do you want to be on SNL? Well, I hope you enjoy every step along the way; going to a major city, taking UCB classes, trying stand-up, getting better, writing sketches, drinking, being bad at cooking, and working another job in the meantime. All those things can be fun, but if you’re sending SNL your packet from your college-sketch group, buddy, they’re not going to read it.

All in all, it’s not dreams that are the problem; it’s that, in following them, we only care about the end goal. If you’re trying to head down a path, especially a famously difficult path like a career in the arts, you better enjoy every single step of the journey. Because you don’t get into writing, acting, or music for the money: you do it because it’s what you do, and because it’s awesome. If that’s the case, do it; just change your ideas of success. Rappers: you’re probably not going to be the next Jay-Z. But you might be the next J’You. Who’s J’You? That’s the point. He’s not rich or famous. But he’s an underground rapper who’s good and improving. He gets a little money for shows, and sometimes people buy his albums. He has some fans, but not enough to be verified on Twitter. He’s following his dreams, and he’s on his way- more importantly, he enjoys it. If that sounds good to you, go ahead; if you’re stuck on marrying Beyonce though, give up. Because that’s not a dream; that’s a day-dream.

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