Note From Tongal: “Taking on Twenty" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
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Growing up, I’d been asked countless times what I wanted to do with my life. A few ideas I bounced between were musician, architect, fashion designer, writer, and actress. When I reached high school, I went back and forth between teacher and clinical psychologist. The last two ideas interested me, but during the summer after graduating, I had come to realize that I had been leaning towards those two options only because of the “practicality” that my family and majority of people around me would push for. With that said, I decided that I needed to do what makes me happy… even if it meant doing something “impractical.” In January of this year, I decided to take that first step to my happiness; I would go to a local technical college for a Digital Cinema Production program.
My name is Amber St Laurent. As of September 8th, 2018, I am twenty years old. I am from the Tampa Bay, Florida area. I work two jobs, which average around thirty-five to forty hours a week. On top of that, I go to my college classes Monday through Friday. Considering my schedule, and the fact that my main job is the night shift, it’s been quite a struggle being a content creator at this time in my life.
I classify myself overall as a content creator because there are a variety of areas I enjoy being in instead of just one. In high school, I was a theatre kid, so I enjoy doing acting, lights, sound, and stage design. Outside of theatre, I’ve always enjoyed writing, music (both listening and creating), photography, and art. Now to be able to pull it all together to create pieces that utilize my skills while pertaining to my interests and doing something that makes me happy is one of the best feelings in the world.
Currently, as far as content creation goes, I am juggling quite a few projects. I’m working on a short thriller/horror film, photo shoots here and there, a book, and building my portfolio for both photography and videography so I can achieve my greater goal. My higher goal is to get into the music scene and become a band photographer and music video creator. I have been reaching out to local bands through my various social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been working on it, and I will continue to work on it because this is what makes me happy.
Now I’m sure you’re probably wondering how I’m juggling everything on top of my personal life. My answer? I do my best to remember my purpose and what makes me happy. I remember that this is all a part of my purpose. This line of work isn’t easy. The struggle, the discouragement, the doubt, the depression from feeling like I’m not where I need to be . . . it’s all a part of my purpose. I, among countless other content creators out there, struggle with mental health. I cannot stress the importance of self-care enough for people in this line of work. It’s so important to have a support system, but it’s more important to be a support system. Be a support system for others, encourage them, but be the best support you can be for yourself. If you struggle supporting yourself and lack a support system, try therapy if you can . . . that’s what I had to do, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I understand that therapy isn’t an option for everyone. It isn’t always an option for me either. This is where self-care tools become even more important.
When it comes to self-care, it comes in all shapes and sizes . . . different things work for different people. My self-care can be anything from drinking tea, writing blurbs of whatever nonsense is on my mind, reading, painting, binge-watching movies or TV shows, going on random adventures to who-knows-where with some friends, browsing memes on the internet and sharing them with my boyfriend Zack, searching for future tattoo ideas so I’m not so impulsive when it comes to choosing my next one, designing what I want my future home to look like, or sometimes even just napping. You need to remember your purpose and remember what makes you happy. If you don’t know what makes you happy, start somewhere . . . try something different. Trying something different and finding those self-care tools is the first step to being successful when it comes to being a content creator, especially if you’re just starting out.
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. To all the content creators out there, especially those juggling a busy life like myself . . . keep going, you’re doing fantastic. Keep creating. Keep doing what makes you happy.
[Editor’s Note: Here at Tongal, we love supporting the creative endeavors of content creators of all ages. We believe that Tongal is a great way for creators like Amber to get their feet wet doing creative work for clients. And, we strive to create resources and educational opportunities for our community members to stretch their creative muscles. Not to mention, Tongal is a great way to connect with other creators (check out our Forum and Meetups group).]
