Anyone who's chosen to take a career path outside of the socially respected professional pathways has definitely heard of every possible way they're going to fail. As someone who's pursuing art, I am bound to doubt my potential success in this field and hearing that from others doesn't make it any easier. After years of dreaming about my career and letting my mind wander into all the places I want to reach in life, I decided to follow through and go to VCUarts.

From parents to distant family members, to friends, and to grade school teachers, I'd always get the same damn feedback. "Oh, so what do you plan to do with that?" They act as if I should have a power point ready with a step by step plan to explain it all. I got frustrated with constantly needing a reason for doing what I want as if that wasn't a reason in itself. The more I strained my mind with this the closer I came towards quitting. However, once you realize that nobody is entitled to dictate what you do and what your future holds, nothing can really hold you back. I've always been an advocate for the famous saying that if there's a will there's a way.

After graduation and the post-high school glamour, I found myself in a city that was hours away from what I used to call home and strived to make a new one that made room for the future I am striving for. I spent a year's worth of living the way I've always wanted to and being surrounded by many people who also hold the same artistic future on a pedestal. I just knew I was where I needed to be and that everyone's opinions don't have to correlate mine. However, after finishing a full year of art school I couldn't help but still feel an immense amount of confusion.

Introspection is the key.

The source of my confusion was doubt. Although it took a while to figure that out, introspection has led me towards understanding myself and what I need to be doing, much better. Because I had doubt consuming my heart, I let what outside opinions impact my work ethic. It also hurt my self-worth and that is not helpful towards individual success. But having control over that portion allows me to see what I need to be doing for myself and my career in a better light.

If you are taking a risky career path, it's important to know that there are many unknown layers to it. You can rule out the clear obstacles in the way of your goal. You can mute the people giving you directions towards a more mainstream route. You can also go out and find a way to receive the education necessary in order to advance in your career path. However, this all won't do much if you don't look into yourself and see what you need. It's important that anyone taking a riskier career path know that the problems within yourself are always going to be just as important as the ones that are external and more straightforward. With all this in mind, your personal success will come sooner than you think.