Before I start there is one thing you must know about me: I am just about to enter my last year of college pursuing a major in film. Yes, I am spending my tuition learning all about the art of filmmaking; and no, I do not have a back up plan.

I did not grow up knowing that I would go into film, nor did I think I was any good at it when I started. But I continued to make silly music videos with my cousins every summer, and gradually, after about 4 years, I started to get the hang of it. Now, three years under my belt learning the different techniques of film and studying a ridiculous amount of motion pictures in excruciating detail, I am beginning to understand how this creative career process works. So, here are the things I’ve learned up to this point:

You find out who really believes in you and who doesn’t.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned so far from the people in my life, it’s that there is a huge stigma against having a non-traditional career choice.

This one hit the hardest for me; truth be told. I could handle the pressure from myself and my teachers, but finding out that people, usually family members, don’t really think you have the chops to “make it” can take a toll on your mindset. I have had so many aunts, great-aunts, uncles, and other random family members ask the dreaded question almost everyone in a creative career hears: “What’s your back up plan?” This question sets off a special kind of angst inside me. If you really look at it, it’s not a question at all, but rather a statement of failure, and when it comes from the people closest to you, it hurts. But that will make succeeding that much sweeter.

You have to be persistent.

This one has been told to me over and over by people already in the film industry. You have to put yourself out there and you have to talk and meet with people in your industry. It’s all about networking. I never wanted to seem disingenuous or make people feel as if I was using them for my career gain, so this took me a while to comprehend (and I’m still getting comfortable with the idea). But if people know you, then they can recommend you, and that is almost worth more that an outstanding resume (but, you know, it’s a good idea to still have a great resume). Moral of the story: work thosecontacts, but do it for the right reasons and appreciate just how much they are helping you out.

You can’t give up.

Going along with being persistent is the fact that you have to jump into this decision both feet forward, and hold nothing back. Once you start to pull back, it’s hard to keep going. Defend your choice to the doubters, make a kick-ass game plan (though don’t expect it to go the way you think it will, it almost never does), and fight to the death for your dreams. This dream is yours, only yours, and no one can take that away from you, unless you let them. The people who “make it” aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent, but the ones who work the hardest and keep going. Those lucky few at the finish line are the ones who ran a marathon, not a sprint. There have been so many times I thought about changing majors and career paths, but something inside me (cliché, but totally true) told me that I would regret it. Every time I thought about changing majors, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that what I was getting into was going to be something great. What if I quit right when I was about to succeed? Now that would suck! Put in the work, put in the time, and outlast all the others.

Know that you are good enough.

This is still a huge struggle for me. Fear is my biggest hurdle. I have passed up interviews because of fear, I have passed up filming because of fear, and I have passed up finishing a project because of fear. I’m afraid I’m not good enough, no matter how many people have told me I am. I’m afraid I’m too weak, this industry is brutal, and I’m afraid I won’t succeed, despite my greatest efforts. But the thing about fear is that it exists solely in your mind. To be honest, you just have to ignore it. The only thing that gets me through the fear, is pretending it doesn’t exist. If you don’t give it a place to sleep and food to eat, it can’t survive; so starve that sucker.

Now I’m no big movie director (yet ), but I have secured a great, stable internship, have started building my contacts, and I just feel like this is exactly the way my life is supposed to go. Don’t get me wrong, pursuing this lifestyle is about as risky as you can get, super nerve-racking, and extremely challenging, but also the bravest choice you can make. You are so freaking amazing, because while others find a secure, stable career, you’re risking a “stable” livelihood to actually make your dreams come true; think about that! And in the end, if you really want and work for it, your dreams will turn into reality and you’ll realize dreaming is only for those who never risked it to get the biscuit.