Finding my purpose
I'm currently back in school (after a two-year hiatus for trauma healing) and I'm aiming to be an illustrator or animator (manga/anime artist), but I also show interest in psychology. I know art therapists exist, but I don't fully know if it's the right path for me. I even wonder what I could be, as if I can be an illustrator or an art therapist. One part of it is, I might not be able to afford my master's in fine arts or psychology, but the one that is bothering me is, "What would be my purpose?" I guess I wonder how people find purpose in the degree they work hard towards. its like im low self-worth of myself but i wonder how to find purpose when you are still healing.
@Vivikun9
Well, you could be an art therapist and then be an illustrator on the side. Or you could be an animator and/or illustrator and do volunteer work to help those in mental health crisises on the side. Or you could get your degree and end up doing something that has little to nothing to do with your degree. Or you could get your degree, try out a job in that field, and then go back to school for a quick degree in a new field, and wind up in a new profession (like me)!
I'm glad that you took the time to heal yourself before returning to education. Just know that there are many paths open to you, no matter what degree you chose. You will not be trapped in your degree, so there is no 'wrong' decision.
But, I think you've really got to think about the job first and the degree second. How much person to person interaction can you handle? How much paperwork can you handle? What kind of job security do you want? What is your emotional regulation like and how much downtime do you need? What is your working style to get things done? What kind of work environment would you prefer?
I majored in Linguistics without thinking about what job would suit me. I realized I did not have the skills to be a translator, I had no idea how to be a researcher, and I had no intention of sitting in a government office. I took a year to teach literacy to school children through a formulatic AmeriCorps program and realized two things: I hated not being able to create my own lessons and I loved watching the children enjoy their art-time rewards for good reading. I threw myself back into a fast-track art educator program and voila! Now, I am teaching part-time and I can definitely say this is where I make the most sense (even if I'm struggling with pretty severe mental health issues, but that's on me, not the job).
Think about:
1. Where does your satisfaction lie? In person-centric work or in creative-centric work?
2. What job/s did you dream about when you were younger?
3. What job do you currently know the most about/have the most skills for?
@determinedSea4370 this is a superb response
@determinedSea4370
Thank you for that response. It is something that worth writing about in my journaling sessions. It something me and my theripist have been exploring in shadow work and post tramatic growth (im getting the book "Unexpected Gifts of Trauma") to help me answer those questions. I guess the one thing I can answer is, when I was younger I want to be a video game maker. Silly job title yes but I love the idea of creating stories and chracters. I think that what lead me to illustration more but there also a part of me that wants to help people through there emotional needs. Those are good ideas/thoughts to think about. :3
@Vivikun9 shadow work and post-traumatic growth are very worthwhile themes to tackle; it's great that you're doing so. On the subject of careers combining creative video-gaming with mental health, there is a YouTuber you might enjoy - Hazel Gale; her channel is called 'Betwixt: the story of you". She created an app incorporating love narrative, shadow work and mental health generally.
@DemiMondaine *that should be life narrative - autocorrect got the better of me there!
@DemiMondaine
I have hear of this! I have played the app and im on her ***. I think it a good reference for me to look into
@Vivikun9
Hey, first of all, welcome back to school, that’s a huge step, especially after taking time for healing. It sounds like you’re really exploring some meaningful paths with illustration, animation and psychology, which is super awesome.
The question of purpose is a tough one, especially when you’re still healing and figuring out who you want to be. It’s completely normal to feel uncertain or to have doubts about what your future holds. Sometimes, purpose isn’t something we find all at once but something that grows and evolves as we try different things and learn more about ourselves. One way to start thinking about purpose might be to ask, what kinds of activities make you feel most alive or fulfilled? When do you feel like you’re contributing something meaningful, even in a small way? What values do you want your work or life to reflect?
It’s also okay if your purpose changes over time, or if it’s a mix of things, like combining your love of art with psychology in a unique way, maybe through art therapy or other creative mental health work.
Remember, your worth isn’t tied to a degree or a job title, it’s about who you are as a person and the impact you have on yourself and others. Healing itself is a powerful journey that shapes your purpose in ways that can be deeply meaningful.
