I’m 15 years old and I don’t know what kind of career I should pursue. And I’m starting to panic about it.
I’m not really expecting anyone to read the ridiculously huge chunks of text coming up. I’m just trying to sort out the mess in my brain by putting it into words. (Last time I put this question in the career section and got a ton of advertising people, so…I’m not sure which section belongs in)
I’m in 9th grade, taking all Honors classes. My GPA is a 3.8. I’m taking the SAT II Subject test for Biology this June. I plan to take other AP tests, like AP Chinese, later in high school. My annual standarized test scores (STAR test scores, dunno if it’s different in other states) are usually good, I often get 600s. I’m a GATE1 student, meaning my IQ is supposedly over 140.
But I hate school…My school is suffocatingly competitive. I’m tired of competing with the girl who plays the piano and violin, is on the Debate and Badminton team, volunteers at a local museum, speaks 4 languages, and still manages a 4.0 GPA (I’m not exaggerating!). I routinely fall asleep studying…None of the subject matter is even remotely interesting to me. To get the grades I have, I have to try so hard I’m stressed out all the time.
People, teachers, classmates, parents volunteering, have been telling me since preschool that I should become an artist when I grow up. From a ridiculously young age I’ve been associating drawing with pleasure and praise. I don’t just like drawing…I feel like I’d die if I couldn’t. It’s like a stress reliever for me.
When I can’t draw, I feel anxious and my hands start shaking. I can’t really suppress the impulse to draw, even in the middle of taking tests! Some of the answer sheets I get back are comical — There are beautifully detailed drawings in the margins — The world map in front of me, the trashcan in the corner, the guy who sits in front of me, all of my teachers. And then you look further down the paper, and I didn’t have time to finish the last few problems.
I learn by trial and error. But I always improve a lot when I have the time to practice, like over breaks, just sketching whatever comes to mind, copying pictures from magazines, or speed-drawing with 30-second online pose generators. I look at my drawings a month or two apart, and it looks like they were done by two different people. If I spent less time on my studies, I think I could easily be as good as a professional artist. It’s my dream to go to some sort of art school after graduating.
I know it’s a really, really bad idea to become an artist. I know probably 90% of them starve on the streets and die in misery. Even many great artists aren’t appreciated until they’re already dead. Then their works sell for millions, but of course it makes no difference to the already-dead artists. It’s a cruel world. Following my bliss could be the end of me.
But what discourages me even more than that is my dad.
He’s a Stanford graduate who makes missiles for the government. He tells me to study more or I’ll be like my older sister (who’s becoming a doctor) who “ONLY” got accepted my Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Davis. He made me study 4 hours a day on spring BREAK. Quote: “Good thing there’s Stress-free week, then you can study for the SAT.” He gave me a lecture when I was in elementary school about how I should read nonfiction books instead of fiction because I’ll actually learn from them.
He’s threatened that if I don’t choose a career path soon, he’ll choose one for me himself. He will be REALLY angry if I say I want to be an artist. I’m afraid he’d hit me.
I don’t know what to do. It’s smartest for me to just forget about art and become an accountant or doctor or something…Maybe just a little art in my spare time, but definitely not for a living. But my heart isn’t attached to my brain. Irrationally, I still want to become an artist. I don’t know why I’m crying, this is stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID
If there’s still anyone who’s still there after reading my ridiculously long question, I would like some serious advice. Talk some sense into me. Please. I really don’t know what to do.
Thank you, and please have a nicer day than I did.
Yeah, as I stated from the beginning, I didn’t expect anyone to read all of that. And most of you didn’t. Thank you, the few of you who did!
And…I’m pretty amazed that someone thought my endless run-on question was INTERESTING o.o
Hmm…So I should either
a) become an artist and be poor but happy
or
b) don’t think about it because I’m young…
You shouldn’t stress. Most people discover what they want to do while they are in college. Sure, many people have a general idea prior to college, but college is where it solidifies. Random fact: The average college student changes their major 3 times. That demonstrates that even in college, people are unsure. It makes sense, since you’re still young.
I think that you should be a professional CPA (certified public a$$ hole)!!!
Pick something YOU enjoy. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.
if art is what you love, go with art. always do what you love. stop trying to be equal to the other girl, you have things she doesn’t have you can only do your best and be who you are
If your question had been shorter I might have answered it. Why don’t you pare it down to 2 paragraphs and try it again?
I think that you should do whatever you put your mind into. Just follow what you best at And you will succeed. :]
tl;dr
Shut up and stop whining. You’re 15, there’s plenty of time to figure that shit out. Hell, if you have to, smoke some weed. Just calm the fuck down and chill the fuck out.
Oh, and give tossing the word “fuck” around a try. Usually helps.
EDIT: If your dad hits you, take the hits and no matter how much it hurts, or how much your showing that it hurts, ask him if he’s hit you yet and call him a bithc. Teach him it’s YOUR fucking life, NOT his.
Your 15 years old, don’t worry about this yet. Even people in college change ideas about what they want to be. This is my Senior year of High School and i’ve changed what i wanted to me more this year than ever.
It’s good to take this classes and keep in mind what you like and dislike and then take classes that involve your likes. No worries you’ll figure it out eventually.
okay so i didn’t read any of what you wrote but your only 15 you have so much time! you really shouldnt be stressing over this right now, to have an idea is good but if you dont then who cares! whatever you choose now you probably wont end up doing anyway, peoples career choices change – everyones does. If your dream is to be an artist then maybe you should think about that? Or something similar to it. Your dad sounds like an idiot trying to force you into something so young and your sister turned out good, a doctor? you should just do what you want to do, and not what your dad wants you to do. its your life not his
smoke a joint.
Why can’t you be something and an artist? No rules say you can’t do more than one thing as a career right?
Hey,chill out,I’m 15 too..well,for now,you have to know what you want to be and capable of. What job that make you “wow,that is a cool job”.
You know what,.you just have to know your potential, it will lead you all the way through.
Me,I like design, and want to be a designer..It’s that simple.
Hope my answer will be useful…
Be an artist. I feel the same, but with guitar. I know what you mean about feeling that connection. It’s like you have to do it…so do it.
What do you want to be: another accountant, who hates their job and quite frankly makes no noticable difference to the world?
Or do you want to follow your dream and do what YOU want in life? You’ll only regret it if you don’t. In my opinion. But I’m always right
Follow your heart.
No way will I read that whole thing, lol
but don’t worry, I’m 15 and i have no idea what to be..
like, at all. No job fits what I would like to do,
but don’t worry about it, we’re still young
too long
hey!
yes, i read the whole thing!
and im 15 too. the only thing i can say is 1, chill out. like seriously. my friends are all 15/16 and in 10th grade and i know kids who are in AP classes which is great adn such, but they seriously stress so much, they have no time to just be themselves and relax. were only 15, we shouldnt know what we want to do yet. my school pressures us into chosing a college and then a career and its like ok, pick a college that you like, go there, try some classes out, then chose what you want to do. stop stressing though!
you dont have to compete with anyone,, just do the best you can and youll go far
the thing im confused about is, if everyone wants you to be an artist.. whats the need for good grades?
youve just got everything all wrong.
i think that you need to do whatever youre passionate about, and no one can ever chose YOUR life for yu, remember that, in a few years, you wont b with ur daddy anymore, youll have to do whatever u chose for the rest of your life. so make sure its something you like
just give it time, calm down, get a social life and things to do and everything will fall into place
Check out Shift Happens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Kf0lV1u8A
If I had seen this when I was your age, wow.
As far as your dad goes deep down he just wants you to succeed in life and it could be worse. what if he did not care at all?
Well, girl, i know how you feel, it happened to me once, so here is something… NEVER NEVER aim for something you DON’T want to do, trust me. Also… stop putting presure on your self like that… you are only 15…practice painting, really aim for it girl. Okay, Life is not over for you yet… so don’t end it!!! Girl, God will guide you, here is something more simple… please aim for painting… u Go Girl, i hope i helped
I was is kind of the same situation, except my parents told me I could become whatever I wanted. I wanted to go to art school, but like you I was scared of being a starving artist and wanted to choose a career that would be a constant source of income. I chose graphic design, thinking that it was pretty close to art, but while still in school I hated having to change my designs to make other people (the clients) happy. I ended up now even looking for a job in that field when I graduated. I decided to go back to school to become a dental hygienist, and I’m halfway through with the program and I’m happy with it until I think of my younger sister, who is almost done with her BA in anthropology. She has no idea what she is going to do with her degree, and worries that she won’t be able to get a job with it, but at least she went after what interested her and didn’t let worries about job security get in the way. If I could go back in time I would have chosen to go to art school.
I read your whole thing, with interest. Your right about the artist, so be a part time artist! It’s perfect, and since in the meantime your dad wants you to be a doctor or something smart like that, some choices you might have are being a vet (I want to be one badly!), doctor, nurse, accountant, a teacher, etc. o offense, but all but the vet careers suck. When I first started reading I thought that I was going to write “15! Your not even going to collage!” but now I understand how your dad is. Maybe give him the idea of a part time artist and tell him since you really want to be one and he wants you be something like the choices I gave you, you guys can both win. After you give him the idea tell him your 15 and he’s putting pressure on you that shouldn’t be on you for another 3, 4, or so years. You just want to enjoy your teen life, almost stress free. I hope I helped and I understand what your going through.
The good news is that you are still very young and have plenty of time to sort this out. The bad news is that you are worrying about a career at age 15. I did not find out my career path until I was 25 years old. Take the time to enjoy your childhood– be yourself and your life will follow suit.
As for your Dad, that’s just something you will have to learn how to cope with. Your Dad is not going to change his mind about his goals to help you be successful. It’s important that you understand that he’s exhibiting tough love and do not push him away from you. My father was a lot like yours and I pushed him away– it’s very hard for us to be close these days.
life can be really hard what more can I say? Ive been helping out people as much as I can on here but I really dont feel like reading that at the minute. Your 15 you have your whole life ahead of you dont panic about career you have sooo much time. Dont stress anout stuff seriously, you seem very bright and smart and I’m sure you’ll figure out what you want to do, but your really young you dont have to worry about that now, you start planning on what college your going to in your senior yr. cheer up things could be a lot worse, you could be me! and MB is just a loser dont listen to them.
Stop stressing out. You’re only 15 and have your whole life ahead of you. People change careers all the time. Who’s to say you still want to be an artist when you’re 35? I worked in an office for 22 years and thought I liked it. I got laid off. Now I drive for a living and I love it. I wouldnt go back to an office for anything. Always, Always pursue your dreams. Only you can decide what you like and what your interests are – dont let somebody else choose your path. There are many areas in art – graphic design, web design, fashion design architecture, etc. Have some fun in your teenage years!! Work can wait!!!
I’m not going to go into the ridiculously long list of my smart qualifications, but suffice it to say, I know what I’m talking about. First things first, live for yourself, learn the law. Your parents can pressure, yell, and do a lot of things, but if you speak to them like an adult, they’ll being respecting you as one (even if they don’t realize it). If you’re not interested in the material, don’t bother with it. Learn it if you want.
If your dad pressures you, look him straight in the eye, and explain calmly why you own your life and he doesn’t. Refrain from becoming emotional or out of control; simply accept any punishment and deal with your parents as an adult.
Tell him calmly that you want to be an artist, and remember the law quite firmly. If he hits you, you can leave, bunk with a friend, or call children’s aid. In fact, you can even threaten him with it if you really want to. He can’t choose a career path for you because you own your life.
I’m done sympathizing by now, I’m going to talk some damn sense into you. Who owns your life? You do. So take control of it. You do what YOU want for reasons YOU determine. If something interests you, study it. Deal with the world like a damn adult and don’t go crying to others to solve your problems; you have the capacity to solve things on your own. You sound smart enough, you should be able to understand how life works and how to make it work for you.
And in case you’re interested in my personal details, I’m 16, into calculus, learned trigonometry and developed 3D-graphing formulas in grade 8, fluent in C++ and x86 assembly programming languages, began learning quantum physics in grade 7. Skilled in language, debate, music (drums and piano), drama, French, German, and basic Latin. I’m skilled at almost anything I attempt (save drawing and painting. Although analyzing visual art, I’m very good at). I’m highly skilled in psychology. I’m not a nerd either, I have a huge number of traditional “white” characteristics.
So, in closing, take control of your damn life. You’re smart enough to understand how things work and how to achieve your goals; my extensive array of skills (from intensely nerdy university-level material when I was quite young to very “white” habits like being a douche to my teachers) comes from understanding how things work, and how to accomplish what I want.
It’s your life, run it how you see fit. There will be consequences, but they will be slight. If they go beyond slight, you have the law on your side. If the slight punishments are too much for you, practice meditation and psychological prowess. It helps.
be an artist and risk the supposed concequences your so afraid of,
if no or maybe even if it does not work out well that’s just life you. this stuff happens
if you don’t want to be an artist then just either accept it as a part of your destiny and let your dad make your life decision for you or just simply choose something else.
b.
I recently read an article about how art people/ designers will be needed in the future: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/05/07/o.Oprah.Interviews.Daniel.Pink/index.html
I know there are a lot of colleges centering on art majors but I’ve heard from my mom that design school (she took graphic design) was not really easy. You have to be willing to put a lot of effort into focusing on deadlines and less focus on the ‘creative aspect’. But…. the school was in japan… so it might be different here :/ Anyway I would suggest a balance of schoolwork and art for now at least, so that, should you become interested more in a certain subject you will have greater opportunities for college 
you should do some research on what areas you want to concentrate in the art field (ie) advertisement and product design – whether your focus will be drawings or computer graphics, in addition to research in other areas that might interest you. You still have 3 years of highschool left so you shouldn’t feel that pressured to decide now. But if you do choose to go to design school you can always have a double major (ie get an MFA in addition to a degree in biology) 
it was on oprah LOL
Well its tough at the top.
1. Dad doesn’t get to pick your career even if both of you thinks he does. He may be paying for school but you’ll be going and if he is that much of a control freak then you might as well work for the scholarship, play along, and get the he// outta dodge when it is time for college.
2. Keep artist as a hobby or a minor. Advertising will only water your art down and Marketing & Advertising are for people who think they are smart, not people who actually are smart.
3. Everyone falls asleep studying.
4. Stop competing with sis and tell Dad that his comparisons are not helping you focus they are hurting you from focusing.
5. Diffuse the situation and yourself. At 15 most people do not know what career path to follow. At 18 most people do not know what career path to follow.
6. At the end of the day this is your life. Try thinking less about the career title and more about the lifestyle you are looking to have. A job is work in any industry so you need to accept that the best of career choices still means producing and if you decide to take the struggling artist approach then be prepared to be a struggling artist. Do not let fear drive you against a decision that will last your entire life.
7. Careers change all the time. Just because you are going to college for one thing does not mean you can not change your major or add a minor. Find a school that has both and forget the titles of the school.
8. Becoming an artist does not mean checking out of society. Think in terms of being a well rounded artist. Try thinking of majors that will either produce a career that will give you the free time you desire for your art, or a career that will complement your art studies. You are far too young to think you can be a professional artist without having a portfolio put together and evaluated. Try making one and get some feedback. In the mean time, think about majors that have interest to you as an artist. Doctors and Lawyers are out. Computer Science has possibilities since it will be marketable and there is a lot of art generated for the internet. Business Management where you can manage your own business or even a gallery that puts you into the art world. Languages and History are loaded with art aspects. Archeologist, Architects, Film, all types of majors that lean towards artistic people.
9. Dad probably leans towards Engineering and Finance. That’s where the money is for a lot of people and it does have stability going for it. There are artistic aspects to Engineering though.
The points I am trying to make are to reveal that currently you and your Dad are on polar opposites concerning career but that you both need to come to an understanding. Dad probably has a lot of good advice that he is shoving down your throat like he launched one of his missiles and you are shell shocked thinking its all or nothing. Some of this is normal as you are 15 and you see this as a all or nothing time in your life. It isn’t but it is damn important! Most artists are also good at the sciences and math. There is no getting out of the studying and that is always good. Time to excel at the basics.
Tell Dad of your interest in art. No sense hiding it. Also tell him you are open to the ideas of majors that surround artist talents but that you want him to help you explore those if he expects you to explore his. If he is still maniac Dad, ask sis to get involved if your relationship with her is good. She would be a good sounding board as she alreasy is following Dad’s dreams and if she says something on your behalf, he may listen.
Dad will not change overnight and neither will you. Right now it is all stress so relax! You are going to have to at least try to reason with Dad and if he is too polarized then you are going to have to make decisions on your own. Try not to be too polarized the other way. No sense both of you having your feet dug in the sand.
…and possibly show this to Dad. He may see more of your commitment and concern having taken steps to ask advice and seeing your stress level may open his eyes.
I sure hope he isn’t abusive and you are just speaking in exaggerations because that makes all this pointless and you really are going to have to start making brave decisions on your own, and the answer groups may need to buy missile defense systems. (Try to laugh, that was a joke)
Please don’t panic! I’m 18 and not even sure what I’m going to do next year. Life’s not a race. You won’t die if you don’t have everything planned out perfectly. Take your time, try some different things, have fun! Make wise choices, but stay true to yourself.
I highly recommend that you read The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn. I was in your position when I was 15, and this book helped me in a big way. Even if you don’t do what it says, it will help give you a new perspective. Please check it out. You can read a few excerpts here: http://lowryhousepublishers.com/tlh_excerpts.htm
I’m very sorry about your dad, though. I have trouble with my dad, too. Remember that this is your life, not his. Everyone gets discouraged, but the important thing is not to give up!
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Dear 15yr old person questioning what to do with your life…
I read all your message and feel strongly about what yr saying. I’m not sure if you’ll get to see this know as I notice you posted it a few months ago.
I hope you do as I have a little experience in the consequences of not following ones heart, my heart now being 32yr.
It sounds like your parents care deeply about you, they want what all loving parents want for their children… security. Security, money etc so that you don’t have to worry, so that you can go and do things and enjoy all the experiences that life has to offer. That is definitley something to remember when one is deciding whether to be the next whizz-kid hedge fund manager or whether you would still be happy with a little less money.
Please remember this though… At one point in my life I had wanted to be a dancer but decided not to follow it through completely because people around me including teachers said that I would have no money. I thought that meant NO money atall, not being able to afford rent/food anything. No-one actually said that yes I would be able to afford rent/food/a few holidays etc.
I decided not to follow that path and feel that I missed out.
Follow your heart, your shaking hands, your art. If you feel so strongly about it, it is because somewhere in your soul, you know thats is where your freedom lies.
We can create good from any path we choose, we can generate money too… and we can always have something to help us along the way… not a backup plan as such but an added bonus… maybe a language, or a skill that you can’t name like being great with people.
I wish you all the best of luck with your choice. and I look forward to seeing your art in the near future.
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