Determining the Color of My Parachute

Yes… this is in reference to the book What Color is Your Parachute.  I’ve not written lately mostly due to my brain being absorbed by all my big life-questions.  I’m at a fork, and am wrestling with which road to take.  They are all wonderful options that would be personally fulfilling, but each path has sacrifices…. there-in lies the rub.  I have to choose which sacrifices I want to bear. So indulge me a moment of processing “out-loud.”

First – my path choices:

Path 1:  The Big Dream.  The one with the pull over my life outside of God & family (and even pulled me a good physical distance from family) – Voice Acting.   The joy this brings me is unmatched by anything else professionally.  I weigh all other options against how it would effect my voice over career.   And for a whole host of reasons, it “fits” me well – like stumbling into something that I was uniquely created to do.

Path 2: Graduate School – with an eventual Masters in Psychology emphasis on Marriage & Family Therapy.  I have applied, been accepted, and am set to start in the fall.  This would eventually get me out of a “job” mentality and give me a “career” path to invest in which I know it would be a good fit.  Psych was my Undergrad Degree and I loved it, so this would be a natural next step to continue in.  I am fascinated by human behavior, and according to “Strengthsfinder” & any other career aptitude tests, it fits my design.  I could still do voice over — some….

Path 3:  Something Else.  Perhaps something Culinary?  I love the idea of working in the world of natural, whole foods.  It is a whole new world for me and I am a bit obsessed with the current medical info coming out on health and nutrition.  It might be a complementary skill to go with my Spiritual Direction Certification – I could be a retreat chef.  Plus, sometimes Brian and I dream up ideas for restaurants we’d like to open, so it could be a valuable skill.  Or sometimes I think it’d be really interesting to be a food stylist – or a food photographer – or both!

Anyway, there are a number of feasible options that would be fulfilling.

The cons of these options:
Path 1 – Graduate School – MA in Psych, MFT

• debt, debt & more debt. To the tune of $40K+, and that is only if I keep working full time.  Personally, I experience debt like a noose around my neck.
• For the next 2 years:  Bye bye free time.  Bye bye hobbies.  And likely – bye bye working out or cooking at home.  It’d be work, school, study, time w/ husband.
• 3 years internship after school – pay or amount of pay is uncertain – but it’s definitely low.  Not a big deal, but it’s something to consider.
• MFT licenses are not National.  If we ever moved states, I could potentially have a lot of hoops to go through or could be unable to be licensed all together, from my understanding.  (although if I plan carefully in school, I could make sure I have necessary requirements for most states)
• Brian & I are currently uncertain about the future possibility of kids in our lives, but some form of that answer will need to come in the next few years.
• even if I can work it out this first year not to interfere too badly with my voice over work, it will likely compromise my availability for voice work in the following 3-4 years.

Path 2 – Voice Actor

• The work is uncertain & currently I have to keep a full time job to be assured of income.
• any “day job” work has to come with the flexibility to allow me to audition & work at the beck & call of the voice over world.  (I am currently in a relatively good work situation for this)
• I bring my very best, but ultimately the casting decision is outside of my control.

Path 3:  Something else

• Something else would likely have many of the same issues as Path #1.  I’d potentially need some sort of education (maybe even bachelor level classes if I didn’t have the appropriate learning in my undergrad or work history), it’d restrict my time for voice work, and it’s an untested path.   I’d likely have to maintain my full time job, try to keep doing my voice-over work, and then be add learning a new skill set.

Focusing just on Path #1 & Path #2 –

The school path is worth all the cons if that’s what I want to do…. I do believe it is A potential right path (so it wouldn’t be an entire mistake).
Path #2 following the dream is wonderful, but it blocks the ability to move into a career apart from that.  

And ultimately, I have to ask myself, if voice over picks up to be a sustaining income  (truthfully, not impossible, not unrealistic, not out of reach…) would I drop everything else I’ve invested in to do it?  Absolutely.

And that’s an answer that should make me give pause.

It might be that continuing with my psychology education IS the right thing, but it might not be the right time.  

BUT life can’t stay “as is” for long, so if I do opt to hold off on graduate school, I need to rethink the way I approach my voice over career and hit it again with new intensity – but with new methods.

So keep hitting the old dream, or pursue a new one?

Ah Life.  The roads before me all lead to a great destination…  but choosing what route I’ll take starts with me.