Human beings are meant to do more than just work. One of the biggest challenges of grown-up life is somehow balancing a full-time job and adult responsibilities with one’s passion projects, hobbies, and interests. Oh, and you’ve got to find the time to take care of your health and maintain your relationships, too. It can be incredibly overwhelming and exhausting.
So it’s no wonder that some creatives want to skip the entire 9 to 5 grind altogether. Musician, writer, and all-round creative Zoe Wynns’ recently went viral on the internet and in the media after she asked people to stream her music so she wouldn’t have to work a traditional day job. Her video sparked a fiery debate on the internet. Scroll down for the full story.
Bored Panda has reached out to Wynns via email, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
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Zoe Wynns is a musician, writer, and all-around creative who has recently gone viral for an Instagram video she posted
“I cannot do a 9 to 5. I know this is going to sound spoiled”
“I know this is going to sound like some artsy creative who, you know, just doesn’t want to put in the hard work and hours, but I physically do not think I can do it”
“I start to cry if I have more than like three non-creative tasks to do in a day and imagining doing eight hours a day of something that I don’t really love for the rest of my life”
“So, there’s no other option. This has to work”
“This is gonna sound even more artsy and arrogant, but I heard this quote in a show once, and it said: ‘People like us can’t live normal lives. If we try, it kills us'”
“Honestly, I am throwing myself into that category, because I think I will simply die”
“So, if you want to listen to my music, and help me, you know, one step in the process of me not literally dying, please stream it. I love you guys”
You can watch Wynns’ video in full right over here
The young creative’s Instagram video started a very fierce discussion about work, passion projects, entitlement, and financial stability. There were quite a few people who supported Wynns. And it’s clear these aren’t just empty words.
The musician recently shared an Instagram story where she was overjoyed about getting 500 followers on Spotify. So she’s making strides in her music career.
However, many other internet users were far less enthusiastic about her approach. Some social media commenters urged the creative to be more practical and continue her hobbies with a full-time job in tow.
Others pointed out that doing something creative as a proper career can be just as (if not more) exhausting than a regular 9 to 5. The music and entertainment industry can be brutal.
Turning a passion project into a career is different from dabbling in something as a hobby because it’s enjoyable.
There’s creative burnout to consider, as well as marketing, editing (and editing, and editing) your work to make it relatable to one’s audience, and monetizing one’s efforts.
While luck is most definitely a factor in making a splash with one’s music, art, and writing, it’s mostly about hard (and smart!) work over a very long period of time. Consistency and growth are what matter.
And it seems like Wynns knows this quite well, too: in a follow-up video where she covered the response she got online, she mentioned just how busy she is with her studies and various projects. You can read up on everything that she’s done on her website.
The creative later shared another clip where she discussed the internet’s mixed reaction to her previous video
@zoewynnsmusic Yesterday was very strange. Thank you guys for being here 🥹 And hey in honor of this make sure to stream “Abyssal” on all platform so it can hit the 2 million streams it DESERVES 😂🖤 #alternativemusic #smallmusician #genrebending #alternative #electronicmusic #indiemusician #wtf ♬ original sound – Zoe Wynns
Some other internet commenters were far less diplomatic and vented about younger generations supposedly not having a good work ethic. Some folks even went as far as to make fun of Wynns’ music.
Though it’s important to be practical, tearing someone down because they have the courage to try and achieve their dreams isn’t the way to go. The simple fact is that many people would willingly give up their 9 to 5 if they could pursue their creative projects and also have financial stability.
As Inc. reports, one in three Americans have a side hustle. Clearly, people care about their hobbies and envision a future where they won’t have to run in the daily rat race. However, that won’t happen all by itself.
It requires that you proactively carve out periods of time in your day when you can fully dedicate yourself to your side project, whether that’s dance, business, blogging, or learning to play drums better than your entire neighborhood.
Deep work, without any distractions, is far more productive than multi-tasking. You don’t have to block out three or more hours each day because, for most people, that’s unrealistic.
Instead, try to find what time you can, whether that’s just two minutes or half an hour. Doing that daily is going to add up incredibly quickly. But you won’t get where you want to without a clear vision. You have to have at least some sort of plan going forward.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The Harvard Business Review suggests having a clear understanding of what exactly you’re trying to achieve. Having a well-defined goal to move toward is better than doing whatever and seeing what sticks.
Try to come up with some sort of timeline as well. But remember to be realistic with your self-imposed deadlines. After all, you’re probably working a job, maybe even studying and being a parent, too. So you have to be prepared to adjust your course as you go forward. Even if you do have a plan, the creative process is, well, creative, so you have to be ready for some chaos and unpredictability.
As we’ve covered on Bored Panda before, some of the most common indicators of burnout are anxiety, disrupted sleep, a loss of interest in work, and difficulty in focusing. On top of that, you’ve got frustration and irritability ot contend with, as well as difficulty setting boundaries.
Burnout is something that affects you whether you’ve got a ‘normal’ 9 to 5 or pursuing your creative passions. A big part of dealing with it is about having a healthier work-life balance. That means taking care of your physical and mental health, getting enough high-quality rest, eating well, moving lots, and drawing a clear(er) line between your projects and your leisure time.
It’s important to remember in those tough moments that you’re more than just your job or project. It really helps to take some time off and do something entirely different, whether that’s getting back to a hobby you’ve ignored for ages or trying a completely new activity.
Some internet users were far from supportive of the musician. Here’s what they said
Others, however, were happy to see someone pursuing their passions with so much courage
