I remember sitting across from my careers advisor when they told me I needed to pick maths and science for my Year 12 subjects. ‘You’re going to close so many doors on yourself,’ they warned.

Me? an E or F student at best? I tilted my chin up. ‘I’ve got my music, my English, and my art – those are three doors wide open to me, with countless career opportunities in each,’ I replied. ‘If I can’t make a career from all the things I’m GOOD at, how on earth will I make a career from the things I’m failing at?’

With hesitation, they signed off the form.

They were right about one thing, that day. I would ultimately close off all doors for a traditional career, in pursuit of something far more courageous: a creative career, on my terms.

But they weren’t to know that I stayed up for hours after doing my homework each night, writing online fictions for thousands of readers – that would ultimately reach nearly a million readers in over 85+ countries.

They weren’t to know, that the photography electives I received mediocre grades in, would end up being the foundations of me being published in national magazines and working with international clients.

Or that I’d end up being a working artist, a journalist – least of all, anything traditional for longer than 9 months.

They weren’t to know, because so rarely, do we celebrate and champion the unconventional career. The creative career.

We’re not taught to aspire for creative careers – and even if we study them at a tertirary level, we’re seldom taught how to turn these creative skills into a profitable business.

I’ve done it. I’ve taken every lesson from the corporate – every ounce of intuition and talent from the creative, and forged a modern career on my term.

I’m here to bust the starving artist myth, and change the narrative.