I remember entering journalism school feeling so excited to finally be able to focus on one thing, and one thing only. In high school, I was forced to take classes that didn’t always interest me so I was thrilled to be able to do something I was genuinely interested in. But here’s the catch: I realized that journalism wasn’t the only thing I wanted to focus on. I had this part of me that was craving attention and for a long time, it made me really unhappy.
I missed music. I started singing when I was five, took lessons, participated in choirs and musicals; anything music related that was offered to me, best believe I would do it. When I got to university, I felt as though I had to turn it all off to be successful in journalism. This however, was not true. Some people are not meant to only do one job. Some people are meant to do several jobs all at once, or two jobs and a hobby. I realized that if I wanted to be happy, I needed to fuel my second passion as much as I was doing so for journalism. So, I decided to focus on my music career. I entered singing and songwriting competitions (which I actually did well in), released my own music and started doing live streams. Flash forward eight months into my experience with having a side hustle, here’s what I’ve learnt.
Having a side hustle is seriously overwhelming. I’m constantly swamped with a million things to do. I know I have to prioritize my studies, but I also can’t let it take over my time to practice piano, guitar or to write songs. I feel like both of my interests involve so much work and it’s not like I don’t want to do it, I just have a hard time finding the time to do everything. I know I need to network, get published and get editorial experience in order to make it in journalism, but I also have to network with other artists, songwriters and producers in order to grow my audience and (eventually) make money from my music. I’m also constantly juggling a learning curve in each sector. Journalism involves refining my writing and learning audio and video editing from scratch. On the other hand, music involves refining my songwriting and involves learning production and the business side of the industry from scratch. In order to cover all of those grounds, I have to educate myself and pay for it. It can be stressful at times and can lead to me feeling burnt out.
It can also be unfulfilling. By trying to be good at so many things, I find myself thinking I’m not good at either. I know that if I invested more time into one interest, I would be so much better at it. I would probably have more accomplishments and more free time. My mental health might also benefit a little bit, but I just can’t do it. I can’t ignore that voice in my head that’s telling me that music is something I also need to pursue.
Self-doubt is something I have to deal with on a regular basis. What if by chasing two dreams, I won’t get either? What if by ‘wasting my time’ following my heart, I’m actually putting myself in a very dangerous position where I don’t have a job or anything going for myself. I sometimes consider that maybe that voice in my head is telling me I shouldn’t be doing journalism and that I should be pursuing music. By imaging a world without the fast-paced environment, deadlines and story-telling, I suddenly feel like a part of me is missing. The same thing happens when I switch the order. If I stopped pursuing music, I would feel empty because I would have all this inner creativity going to waste. Not to mention the fact that I’ve worked so hard in both sectors just to give up now. I’ve spent 13 years working on my music and just as much time in school; this time and energy spent means something significant that I’m not willing to let go to waste.
Now, don’t even get me started on family perspectives. My parents understand my two passions, but they don’t really see how I can find a way to make both work simultaneously. For this reason, I have to be very confident and stern when explaining why I’m choosing to have a side hustle.
I’ve considered combining my passions by doing something in music journalism, or by making use of my journalism skills in the music industry, working as an A&R consultant, PR consultant or tour manager. I guess I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know who I’ll be or what I’ll want in five years. Who knows, maybe I’ll start hating music or despising journalism? Maybe I’m meant to be an engineer (jk. I would never). I may not see the end goal right now, but I know by following my heart, I’m heading in the right direction. I can’t live in a world without either of my passions and that’s just something I have to accept.
For anyone who is afraid to like two, three or a hundred different things, it’s okay. You’re allowed to have multiple and differing interests and you’re allowed to pursue all of them. In fact, you should. Explore every different aspect of yourself. If you’re meant to do something, you’ll find time and make it work. You just have to believe in your abilities and most importantly, be patient.