Jobs I've had, in order (a very long but non-comprehensive list) - Recording and mixing local hardcore bands (16-19) - Guitar teacher (20-21) - Various odd jobs: Data entry, game QA, night shift warehouse stocker, mail room associate, admin assistant at a forklift company, session musician, janitor (21-24) - QA tester at Perfect World Entertainment (24-25) - My first professional (paid) game composing project (24) - Went full time with music at 25; this didn't work out lol - QA and operations at Humble Bundle (26-29) - Went full time with music at 29, this didn't work out lol - More odd jobs: Guitar and voice teacher, freelance web dev, data entry, transport logistics, data labeling (30-32) - Went full time with music at 32. It worked out this time. I'm turning 36 this year, and still doing music full time 😉
Jobs I've had, in order (a very long but non-comprehensive list) - Recording and mixing local hardcore bands (16-19) - Guitar teacher (20-21) - Various odd jobs: Data entry, game QA, night shift warehouse stocker, mail room associate, admin assistant at a forklift company, session musician, janitor (21-24) - QA tester at Perfect World Entertainment (24-25) - My first professional (paid) game composing project (24) - Went full time with music at 25; this didn't work out lol - QA and operations at Humble Bundle (26-29) - Went full time with music at 29, this didn't work out lol - More odd jobs: Guitar and voice teacher, freelance web dev, data entry, transport logistics, data labeling (30-32) - Went full time with music at 32. It worked out this time. I'm turning 36 this year, and still doing music full time 😉
As cheesy as it is, I think my career is a testament to the saying "The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried." I've attempted to pursue music full time a total of five times (two more that I didn't list above). I've failed more times than I can count. Some of those failures were catastrophic. I've lived paycheck to paycheck, sometimes being forced to sell my most treasured instruments or go into debt just to make rent. I still have nightmares about those days. But each time I failed, I learned something and got back up. I'm not a strong person at all. I'm a crybaby and I get deeply affected by the smallest of pains. Sometimes, I really, truly believed, "I'm not gonna make it." So... if I can make it, you can too ^^ ♡ keep on keepin' on, okay?
@StarlightDaryl Not a strong person?! Do you have ANY idea how much strength it takes to make it through that? I'm intimately familiar with that life, and I know how much strength it takes to get through. Sister, I cry a lot too, but all that means is that our emotions work.
@StarlightDaryl YOU ROCK DARYL!! (Literally!!) 🫂🫂🫂🫂💕💕💕💕🎶🎵🎶🎵
@StarlightDaryl strong enough ;3 some mistakes/bad habits, i don't know if they'll haunt and thwart me later, too much to mention here or to just anyone, also stressful stuff coming up and yet little hope in sight, but i will at least survive, I just hope I can thrive like I want to soon <3