Love Doesn't Pay The Bills

You’ve probably heard it a million times… It’s important to love what you do. 

I don’t know how you can commit to working forty plus years doing something that doesn’t spark some kind of excitement or passion in you. 

Reconciling what you love to do and how you’re going to pay the bills.  That’s the tricky part.  I don’t know the answer.  I don’t even know how to go about finding the answer.  This might be the most frightening predicament of my adulthood.

The fact that I’m old enough to be an independent, self-sufficient person only years away from providing for my own family is a concept I can’t even begin to wrap my head around. 

I majored in Drama (and Psychology for good measure ;) ).  I’ve even been lucky enough to have a fair amount of work in my early adulthood.  But I haven’t ever had enough to pay all the bills.  Not without the help of a parent or boyfriend or credit card.  

But whether I’m employed or not, I’m out there working my butt off.  Looking for the next gig and babysitting or coat checking or personal assisting in the interim.  But realistically, I can’t do this forever.  I can’t count on singing and dancing to pay my bills for the rest of my life.  There’s too many factors outside of my control to guarantee anything.  And these days, even more “practical” skills can’t be counted on to supply a lifetime of financial well being. 

So what do I do?  What do any of us do?  Give up on our dreams and settle for a decent paycheck?  I can’t.  I love acting.  As impractical as it may be, I love it.  But love doesn’t pay the bills.

So what are the alternatives? 

Marry rich?  I’m in love with another actor, marrying rich doesn’t seem to be in the cards. 

Go back to school? What’s an extra degree in acting and thousands of dollars in debt going tell me about my future that I didn’t know before?

Struggle?  I don’t want to be in my mid sixties still waiting for my chance to “make it” with nothing saved for retirement.

The outlook is grim.  Anyone connecting with the song “What I Did For Love” right now? 

Well enough with the self-pity and fear.  I’m devising an action plan.

#1:  I will continue to commit my life whole-heartedly to my greatest passion.  (In my case, musical theatre).  I will do everything in my power to improve my work, my skill set, my marketability, and my general knowledge of my respective field.

#2:  I will constantly educate myself on financial literacy, responsibility, and strategy.

#3:  I will stive to reduce my expenses to live within and below my means and save for times without income.

#4:  I will continue to pursue what I love until what I love most changes. 

When I love money more than performing, I will devise a new action plan.  When I love taking an all-inclusive vacation to Hawaii more than performing, I will devise a new action plan.  When I love the promise of starting a family, more than performing, I will devise a new action plan.  And so on and so forth. 

Right now, love doesn’t pay the bills.  But I’ll work extra to supplement the difference so I can continue to follow my dream.  When that dream gets trumped by another, I’ll adjust accordingly.