It's a dream of mine to see my name on the cover of a novel. I've wanted to become a writer for as long as I can remember so when I finally decided to make that dream come true, I declared Creative Writing as my major. Promptly after making that decision, I started getting "the face" whenever somebody asked me what I was studying.

"The Face" consists of raised eyebrows, a bit of a scrunch in the nose, squinty eyes, and a slight tilt of the head in either direction. This face is one of surprise, one of confusion, and one of doubt. It communicates something I am already incredibly aware of, the possibility of failure and probably starvation in this field (supposedly). The surprise is because its not a super common major, the confusion is because nobody really knows what you can do with a creative writing degree, and the doubt is because nobody ever really makes it being a writer or an artist, do they? (Yes.)

They obviously do, there are billions of dollars circulating in the book/ media industry and those dollars have to be spent on something right? Something that somebody somewhere wrote and is now making money off of. And besides that, there is so much more to be done with a creative writing degree. Who says you only have to write books? Nobody, you can do whatever you want. Creative Writing can be used in any kind of media, public relations, journalism, copywriting, editing, film, art, education, publication; the list could literally go on forever.

So, no, middle-aged adult, I'm not going to starve and be homeless. Believe it or not, I can actually be successful in this field. That being said, it's going to take a lot of hard work and determination (just like any other career, ever) to get to the place that I want to be in. If I didn't already have that covered, I would've probably dropped out already.

After "the face" comes the half-hearted smile, followed by the inevitable "So what happens if that doesn't work out? (Basically translated to; "What are you going to do when the world knocks you on your ass and you realize there's no money in it for you").

This is so annoying to me. Please, just stop. STOP. First of all, the immediate acknowledgment of my impending failure is an amazing confidence booster, so thank you for that. Secondly, how can you be so sure that I won't make it when you know nothing about me or the field in general.

And most importantly why would you instantly crush somebody else's dreams so quickly before even trying to understand the motivations behind it? Obviously, I picked my major for a reason, I gave it a lot of thought and after careful consideration, I decided that this is what I want to do with my life and I don't need negative attitudes trying to ruin it for me.

Of course, I thought about what would happen if something went wrong along the way and I needed to explore new options, but that's for me to worry about, not anybody else.

Also, no, I'm not minoring in business. One, I don't need to. And two, I would be doing the business department a grave injustice if I decided to pursue anything in their realm of study. I would be completely disinterested and it would waste my time, and everybody else's. I salute you business majors, I respect you, but I couldn't do what you do, so I'm not going to. Plus, business is a whole career path in itself, it's not a backup plan.

I chose to pursue writing because I have a passion for it. With writing, I can make a difference in the world. I can spread knowledge, I can extend a helping hand, I can make others aware of the injustices of the world and begin making a change for a better tomorrow.

With writing, I can try and leave the world in better shape than when I was born into it, I can improve the future for my children and their children and their children after that. I can provide an escape for somebody in need of a break from everyday life. I can give hope to those who've lost their way. With writing, I can make a difference and that is why I chose to take this leap into the unknown.

Honestly. I don't know if I'm going to make it in this industry, but I'm sure as hell going to try my hardest. What kind of person would I be if I didn't?

So next time you ask a college student what their major is, don't make the face. Don't suggest a backup plan. You don't know what their motivations are, you don't know what they plan to accomplish in that field of study. Offer words of encouragement and positivity, because they know what's best for them and it's not your place to knock them down.

And to the newly graduated high school senior starting to think about declaring a major: Ignore the people who made the face and ask you if you have a backup plan. You know what feels right for you, do it. If you don't, you'll be stuck doing something that doesn't make you happy.

Working a job just for the money is a waste of time and will probably leave you feeling extremely unfulfilled, it's just not worth it. You get one shot at life, don't waste it being unhappy. Follow your heart and do whatever you need to do to spend your days doing something you're passionate about.