Reader TTS

A call to creatives trying to make it on the Internet The vision of breaking out of the typical “9–5” seems to be growing in the dreams of Americans, especially those who have social media.

A relaxed life of beaches and mimosas while casually working on laptops is advertised to us as the _alternative_ of the 9–5. This representation of “being your own boss” can make any office

job seem mundane, meaningless, and soul-sucking. We sit at our sad desks, experiencing debilitating FOMO and self-loathing because we’ve yet to crack the code on how to be our own bosses,

working off our laptops on the sandy beaches, and on our own time. Of course, when we don’t take what we see on social media with a grain of salt it can be dangerous to our mental health. We

ignore how the things we want to break free of can be the very thing that will help us achieve what we truly want. Instead of focusing on the game, do you find yourself stuck in looping

thoughts and rumination about what you’re life _should_ be, instead of using the tools you currently have to get there? I believe there are many fallacies with what is being shoved down our

throats regarding happiness and success. Before you get carried away in the woes of having a regular job and not making a living creating, here are myths I find to be destructive and simply

false of the 9–5. MYTH #1: IF YOU WORK A 9–5, YOU’RE GIVING IN TO CAPITALISM AND CORPORATE GREED Don’t forget that you’re also tarnishing and deluding your art if you create for the sole

purpose of generating profit, but are you too blinded by the grip capitalism has on you to even see that? Sad. Unfortunately, I need money to survive. What you do with the money you make and

how you use it is up to you. Hopefully, you’ll use it for good, for yourself, and for others. But I can’t control that. There’s nothing wrong with working simply for money if you’re in that

position. Depending on where you put the money you’re bringing in can elevate you to a better position. It can help you. Having money come in, even from a job you’re not particularly wild

about, can help you invest in things that are helpful to you or increase your odds of getting to a place you’d find more fulfilling. That might sound trite because people are living paycheck

to paycheck, and much of the anger towards traditional jobs is about not being paid a livable wage. I’m just speaking on the shame people take on for simply having a 9–5 job (or any

“regular” job) to get by. Don’t buy into it. MYTH #2: IF YOU HAVE A 9–5, YOU’RE GIVING UP ON YOUR DREAMS Untrue. A 9–5 job can be an excellent vehicle for helping make your dreams come to

fruition. Will it require discipline and structure? Yep! However, having the structure of a 9–5 job can help you plan out your day and set time blocks to work on your creative pursuits. This

is convenient because you don’t have to make your art with the pressure of needing to make a profit right away since you’re not immediately depending on it to sustain you. You can work on

it because you want to, not because it has to feed you. Way less pressure where creativity can flow. MYTH #3: IF YOU WORK A 9–5, YOUR LIFE IS BORING “YoU’rE bAsIc aNd nOt wOrkIng HaRd eNoUgH

iF yOU wOrK a nInE 2 fiVe JoB.” I don’t care. I’m an hourly employee, make a fair wage for what I do, and I get along well with my boss. I have coworkers that are around the same age as

myself, we collaborate and work well together, yet, there is a spark of fun and excitement, every day at the ol’ office. I’m happy at my 9–5. I’ve also worked office jobs where the

experience was similar to sliding down naked on a cheese grater into a vat of vinegar every day. I’m not an advocate for being miserable and stuffing your emotions so deep within your soul

that you begin walking with a limp. Job satisfaction is extremely important. Being treated with respect, fairly, and _human_ are all critical facets you should be looking for when job

searching. Just because the guy that’s trying to sell you his $999 course on making money online tells you that all office jobs are a miserable waste of time doesn’t mean that they are. Some

of them are, indeed. But there are some that can actually help your mental health by providing a place you can go to keep your mind occupied, and we all need that sometimes. If you’re in a

healthy working environment and you don’t despise what you do every day, stick it out and take advantage of those healthcare benefits, baby (another perk you should be looking for when job

hunting), and get your ass in therapy and take your mental health to the next level. Good mental health is integral to feeling like you’re on the right path and begin opening more doors for

yourself. MYTH #4: IF YOU WORK A 9–5 JOB, YOU’RE LIVING A LIE No, I’m not. My entire identity isn’t wrapped up in how I make ends meet and pay my rent. Is my job a part of my life? Yes,

absolutely. But it’s not the only part. It doesn’t have to be yours, either. I work in sales operations and that might sound stressful, but it’s not. It’s microscopes. I tell myself that all

the time. _It’s just a microscope. _No one is dying. Little did I know, microscopy and the life sciences industries would become interesting simply because of the exposure I’ve had. All of

a sudden, I’m fascinated by seeing plankton light up under bright fluorescent lights. I never had an interest in science or biology growing up because I only had exposure to it in the

context of school, and I didn’t like school. Learning about it in an entirely different way has sparked my fascination with biology and the inner workings of nature. I’m glad to have scored

a seemingly random job in something I thought I wasn’t interested in because turns out, I am. And after I get off work, I come home and work on my passion for music, writing, and art, _and I

know my bills are paid_. My 9–5 life isn’t so bad, it might even be good. MYTH #5: IF YOU WORK A 9–5 JOB, YOU MUST BE MISERABLE Wrong again. People need structure. Having a consistent job

to go to every day can help provide that. I’m someone that thrives in structure because I’m a hot mess, generally. My office job has helped me increase _mental momentum_ which, in turn, has

helped me be more consistent with my creative pursuits. Knowing I need to be somewhere every day at a certain time forces me to get out of bed, something I arguably would or would not do.

Plus, I don’t have air conditioning in my apartment, but my office does. Very cool. MYTH #6: YOU’RE WORKING A 9–5 JOB BECAUSE YOUR DREAMS DIDN’T COME TRUE First of all, so? People’s dreams

don't come true all the time. It’s not that big of a deal, it’s just a part of life. And when that happens, you have to find an alternative to support yourself. It’s simple math. You

don’t need to be a dick about it. Secondly, it’s never too late for anyone. People’s arrivals can happen at all different ages and stages of life. Society just fetishizes young success. Just

because you find yourself “stuck” in a mediocre office job, it doesn’t give you a green light to give up on yourself. It is what it is. MYTH #7: IF YOU WORK A 9–5 JOB, YOU DIDN’T WORK HARD

ENOUGH TO GET OUT I hate these massive generalizations that get random momentum on motivational Tiktok and/or Instagram and just become… real? The truth? Reality? It’s damaging to people’s

psyches and causes low self-esteem where it’s undeserved. You don’t have the ability to fully understand a person’s life experience. To just tell them that the reason they’re stuck in a

boring office job and not living their “dream life” is simply from not working hard enough is reckless and cruel. Also, they might like their habitual life. It may not be your cup of tea,

but why shame them? It’s so basic. IN CLOSING I don’t think you should submit to a life you are dissatisfied with, and if you want more, go get it. But if you’re not living your dream life

and have to go to an office job every day to make ends meet, don’t let the bitcoin bros, pyramid scheme people, or online course selling people get to you. Just the act of doing things that

resonate with you can be fulfilling and produce more happiness. You don’t need to be some online hustler or have the ins and outs of online creating down to a tee to be a valuable person.

Regardless of where you find yourself, it’s never too late to start moving the needle in the direction of your dreams. You can keep your 9–5 and still get the band back together. I only hope

you do.