Am I Being Crazy?

Julianna Rose started this discussion · 6/27/2015

I would love to get some thoughts/feedback from anyone whose willing to give me their input. I've been in college for two years now (this Fall will be the start of my Junior year), and I've gotten decent grades and am interested in what I'm studying (Psychology), but I'm just not sure its what I want to do. For the past couple of months I have been interning in an area that I thought I might be interested in going into once I finished school, but it turns out that area is not for me. I understand that there are still so many other areas that I have not yet explored, but the internship has really got me thinking about something I've thought about for the past year and a half. I've always wanted to teach dance, and took dance lessons from 5-15 years old. Psychology is an interest of mine and it fascinates me, but it's not a passion of mine like dance is. So, I was thinking about taking one year off from school and taking that year to really dedicate to dance and see where it takes me. I want to train in ballet and contemporary dance (I already have a foundation in both), as well as in pole and aerial. I want to focus on improving my technique and quality of dance before I begin to think about teaching classes. I understand that a year dedicated to training and lessons is not going to make me "amazing", but I do believe it will clarify for me what and where I could go with it. So basically I'm wondering if this is a crazy idea. Worst case scenario it turns out to be a pipe dream, and I go back to school and finish my degree. Best case scenario I make some really great improvements in my dance foundation/education, and carry on to teach classes starting at a beginner level and working my way up (I would love to open up my own studio down the road). I guess I'm just confused on which dreams are supposed to be dreams, and which dreams your meant to pursue! Sorry for the long post, I'm just so torn on what to do because I don't want to set my self a year back, but I also am very passionate about this idea of pursuing dance. Any tips/feedback/information/programs that anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

18 replies

Veena · 6/27/2015
Is your over all goal money or enjoying life? Obviously we need a certain amount of money to live, but depending on what sacrifices you're willing to make, like move somewhere less expensive, ditching cable, cooking at home and so on you can enjoy life with far less than most think! I found this out first hand while living in the RV last year, it was great to live simply!!!! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if you really have a passion for something follow it, it may not be easy, it may not end up taking you down the path you planned but you will have peace and happiness doing what you love. Any style of dance is really tough to make tons of money with, so it needs to be done as passion. Sometimes passion ends up making someone tons of money, other times it means just being able to enjoy life. I feel life is short, enjoy every moment you have.
Julianna Rose · 6/27/2015
Thank you Veena for such wise advice. You are absolutely right about life being short, and I would much rather live a life that was simple but brought me happiness, than live a life that was financially steady but didn't give me that sense of peace. I think I will pursue it, and trust that things will work out as they're meant to be even if what's meant to be isn't what I thought it'd be. Dance requires mental flexibility juts as much as physical flexibility!
dustbunny · 6/27/2015
I don't think it's crazy at all! I think it's a great idea, and no matter what happens you will have learned some things about yourself!
Runemist34 · 6/27/2015
Hey there! I just want to add a note of caution, but not because I think you shouldn't go with it. It's because I've been there. I love baking. I love it a lot, and I explore and learn all the time how to make more complicated and enjoyable things. I have my own piping bag and make simple designs on cakes, I take requests for people's birthdays for their birthday cake. I'm getting an ice cream maker and hoping to use that to make ice cream cake, too! However, when I considered making it my career, I took on two paid commissions for cakes. That was the most stressful baking I've ever done! I come to bake in order to relax and enjoy myself, to be creative. When I'm doing something for a birthday, I know that people aren't necessarily expecting something spectacular- they know this is something I do for free! So, when I pull out something that looks great, they're super happy. But, doing it for money totally changed everything, and I was stressed, and unhappy. I didn't feel like I had the chance to share and explore! So, I DO think that you should jump in and explore your possibilities! Definitely take the time to follow different avenues! Just be aware of your own responses, and take your intuition seriously!
Julianna Rose · 6/27/2015
Dustbunny, I definitely think it will be a journey in which I discover new and interesting things about myself :) Runemist, first off, I always appreciate your advice because from what I've seen on here so far I think you always give people advice from a good place (even if not the exact answer they want to hear). That being said, I appreciate the "note of caution" because I think it is not only a valid point to consider, but in the mist of our dreams its always good to keep a sense of reality as well. I think you are right that a lot of people try to make careers out of hobby's that they love, but don't realize that in part what they love about it is the fact that it is a hobby and not a career. Who knows, I might come to that same exact realization myself once I take on this journey, but I do feel it is a journey I need to make. Even if it does end up with me realizing that dance is better when it's just a hobby, I'd rather know that than not know what would have come from it if I had given it a try! (By the way, that's super awesome that you bake! I like to bake too :D)
Runemist34 · 6/27/2015
That's the same as how I felt! I'm happier knowing that baking is a great hobby that I love to engage in, than a potential career I never explored. I really hope that the exploration and challenge of dance and seeing if it can be your career is a really rewarding one, no matter what happens! I'm sure you'll learn a lot, and that's what it's all about!
Veena · 6/27/2015
Great point Runemist! I also love to make cakes and have played with the idea of being a hair stylist years ago....but after exploring it more, I realized they were fun hobbies for myself, but I would not love it if it was a job! Also, I love pole dance and my "job" here, but even if you have a deep love and enjoy what you do, there are times you wonder if you're doing the right thing. I mention this because even if I doubt what I'm doing at the time, I know I'm on the right path because ultimately I just can't stop thinking and creating when it come to my passion of pole both teaching and performing. I NEED to move and love to share and teach :) Keep us posted on your choice and progress!
natalianyx · 6/27/2015
I personally know a lady that teaches hip hop dancing and has made a career out of it. She puts a lot of work into it and it definitely is stressful. Especially since it's easy to fall behind in your own skills because all of your time is spent teaching others. I think it will come down to some easy and hard things: do you have the drive to push through hard times, are you creative, is it something you want to do all the time, if you didn't do it do you think it would be something you regretted not attempting. Find your reason to make it work or not.
LunaLovely · 6/28/2015
Following your passions can be very rewarding but also very uncomfortable. Having inconsistent income is tough on a psychological level. I've been there, working as a photographer and in a library. I enjoyed it, but at a certain point it comes down to the kind of lifestyle you want to lead. I wanted a more comfortable lifestyle, so I got a job with a more consistent paycheck. I am risk averse. I don't think you're being crazy. I think you're trying to figure life out. That's what we do when we're young. The secret is, you can never figure life out. You can only figure out what works for you, and a lot of the time you have to figure this out by finding what DOESN'T work for you. That includes taking chances and making mistakes sometimes, not to say that this would be a mistake. If this is where your heart is leading you, now is the time to take the chance, while you're young and can recover if it doesn't go the way you had planned. You'll never know if you don't try. And if it doesn't work out, that's okay. Being in your 20s is really hard, especially in a terrible economy. I basically spent 3 years after college trying different things. I'm only JUST starting to figure stuff out. Just know that there likely will be times where you ask yourself, "what the hell am I doing with my life?", but you'll figure it out, and you are not alone. Getting some life experience in BEFORE you finish your degree is probably even a good idea. That way, if you realize the degree is not for you, you can literally save yourself thousands of dollars and years of debt, or you can switch to something that might better suit you. There are dance companies that take on young people for set amounts of time. I would try getting into one of those. I had a friend who travelled with the Young Americans for two years right out of high school, dancing all over the world. She's now finishing her degree in political science. Her experience has definitely enriched her life, and I cant imagine her having done anything else.
Lustyzins · 6/28/2015
I have always followed my passions, majoring in French (of all things), working for nonprofits, getting pilates and personal trainer certified, chasing my dance dreams, owning a pilates and then a pole and aerial studio, getting paid to perform with different circus groups, and competing my guts out to place a few times. However, none of this has been easy or comfortable, and has been incredibly stressful and exhausting at times. I am now 44 years old and still teaching, but I am not as financially secure as someone else my age who decided to stick with the tried and true. Would I have traded any of this so my IRA could be bigger, so I could travel the world in style, own a huge house and a high end car? Absolutely not! My life experience is so much richer for it and my clients love my stories. I could never have lived my life behind a desk. As Veena said though, you have to give up a lot! You won't have a steady paycheck and sometimes cable, eating out and vacations just simply can't happen. You need to embrace living simply. Still to this day though, I find my joy and happiness in movement and dance and educating others to enjoy their bodies, the only thing you ever truly own. I am starting to look for salaried work again since I am growing older and desire more security at this point. In your 20s however, you have plenty of time to explore, change direction and become as many different things as you desire. The evolution never ends! Best of luck and I hope you find what you're looking for!
Julianna Rose · 6/28/2015
Thank you all for the wonderful advice and opinions. Regardless of the paths we choose in life, we can never be 100% sure of how things are going to turn out- life is just full of uncertainty. I'm 20 years old, and if there is a time to be risky and self-explore, now is the time to do it! I will try to keep you all updated as I go along :)
grayeyes · 6/29/2015
Lots of really good advice has been give. I am 46 years old and agree with what everyone has said. Now is the time to try it. It is much harder to go after a dream later in life when perhaps you are married or have children. It's also harder (not impossible) but harder to go from a more comfortable lifestyle to a simpler one. Of course it can be done but once you live more comfortably you generally don't want to give those things up. In the big scheme of things, a year is a short time and following your dream for a year likely won't make a big difference in the final outcome if you end up choosing to go back to school and go a more traditional route. I think Runemist's advice that a hobby or passion can become a chore when it becomes your career is very wise and something I had not thought of.
JoleneBell · 6/29/2015
I can tell you right now that if I could go back in time and I had your dream, I would pursue it. I now have a family, which is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but it definitely ties a person down in several ways. There have been moments when I am jealous of women who are single and childless and can devote their money and life to pole. As a wife and mother I can devote time to it, but I can't just pick up and leave for a pole camp or competition, or train several hours per week at the studio, etc. I just can't do that without forsaking time and money necessary to raise my kids and make sure they have what they need. Therefore, I say, pursue your dreams while you are young and single and have nothing to hold you back! If you want to take a year off of school to devote your time to dance, then do so. Live it up! Explore! Now is the perfect time.
JoleneBell · 6/29/2015
I want to clarify that I adore my husband and children, but I'm just being authentic :)
AllysonKendal · 6/29/2015
I am a VERY practical person. So my advice is just that... Having gone to 8 very expensive years of college, some of which I will be paying back with a check for thousands of dollars a month for the next 10 years... I have a very money oriented POV that may give you another side of things... Don't get me wrong I also agree a lot with the "you're only young once" type thing... So this is more of an "on the other hand..." If your parents are breaking the bank to put you through school, or you are spending your own money or taking out loans... then I think its in your best interest to take that year off and decide what you want to do. Who wants to be paying for all that expensive education if you never plan on using it? I know people who got very expensive degrees, then never liked what they were doing but were basically forced to continue to work to pay off the expensive degree they realized they never wanted! That sucks!!!! If your parents are paying for school now, and helping support you (and they are living comfortable and are happy to do so) I say talk to them and see how they feel about you taking a year off. If they are against it, I say stick with school... Continue to take full advantage of their kindness. Soak it up, and learn everything you can.. Have an awesome back up plan! It's only 2 more years. Even though the "real world" looks appealing right now and college seems stressful and like a waste of time... you will never really be more free to live and explore your passions then when you're free of a lot of financial burdens. My 3 grad school friends and I were at brunch yesterday complaining about that awful loan payment we pay each month... so its just very fresh. :P
poleisnewtome · 6/29/2015
What if you don't make a choice for either/or and do both? You have just two years of school left. Two years goes by in a flash. In my opinion, finish school. Having a psychology degree can open you up to many opportunities that would make you hireable and would be financially beneficial. In my experience, even if you don't get a job in exactly the major you went to school for, depending on the position, just having a bachelor's will give you a leg up on someone else who does not have a degree. If you don't finish your degree now, it would be much harder when you're older and working full-time, needing to pay the bills, to go back and finish a degree. This does not mean you shouldn't pursue dance. Why not take a year off after graduation? This way you'll have the best of both worlds.
Claire Moon · 6/29/2015
Coming from someone who has pigeonholed herself into a career and lots of student debt (boo pharmacy!) take this time to do things just like this! Surprisingly, right now is the most flexible time of your life! You don't have a ton of debt holding you down, you don't have family to take care of (I'm assuming) so take advantage!
tacha666 · 6/30/2015
I just want to share my personal experience: I opened a small studio together with a friend 1.5 years ago. I enjoy it a lot. I not only enjoy teaching, but also everything else that comes with managing a business. BUT I have another "regular", secure job that pays my bills. I don't think it would be as much fun to run a Business if I had to depend on it. I would propably always worry a lot more like I do now, and that in return would propably show and affect the business. The other thing is, I'm often too tired to train for myself, so I don't really get to learn new stuff. I even lost some stuff I already could do. Of course there are other parts in which I improve, that is perfecting the things I already can do; if you have to show them really slow and over and over again, that helps a lot! Just a few things to consider. Hope it helps. Maybe you could finish your degree and start working part time? That would give you some security and a good balance. Even if you don't work in psychology after graduationg, you have a backup where you can support yourself immediately if things don't work out the way you wish... If you can afford it, why not take a year off... But it might be hard to get back if you realise it's not what you hoped it would be.