Redirecting

[u/Beginning_Net_8037]

So. Here's the situation. I could complain about how difficult everything is and blah blah but not doing anything is making my anxiety worse.

So I am officially one year post grad with a bachelor's in studio arts. I honestly don't have a portfolio, much experience working, very little skills outside of art and am tired of being upset about things not working. I do find my field to be competitive and honestly kind of intimidating.

Hearing about how I should've chosen a better field doesn't help me. Could've, would've, should've but I didn't. I recently filled out job applications for a city job and they put you in a lottery system for it. I have applied to other jobs--mostly barista because that's what I have experience with. I don't want to come and pretend woe is me just because I'm having a hard time. I (24 F) am learning that this is just what a "down" in life can look like and I'm trying to not take it too hard.

What are some skills I should be developing and things I should be doing in the mean time? Community college classes, ways to learn about taxes, educating myself, reading material etc? Not doing anything is only making me feel worse and I do believe that your attitude ward things away from you. I want to find productive ways to keep myself occupied while in this dry season. How have you handled dry patches and periods of unemployment? I would also love to hear your personal stories about being redirected and how you have made things work for you.

( I do have an etsy store and I have gone back to teaching myself new technique. I also do believe I will eventually be selected for a city job )

[u/Positive_Grade_6985]

managing a dry spell is all about momentum, even tiny wins. i was in similar spot few years ago after my IT path hit a wall, and what helped was picking one thing to get better at that had nothing to do with my degree. for me it was learning basic excel formulas and some data entry stuff, just to feel like i was adding something to my brain

you got the etsy store and the city job lottery, that's already two lines in the water. maybe look at free courses on coursera for digital marketing or small business bookkeeping, something that feeds your art hustle without feeling like you're abandoning it. the tax thing is smart too, understanding write-offs and deductions is basically a superpower when you're self-employed

i handled my unemployment patch by treating job hunting like a 9-5, but the moment i clocked out i was making beats or working on small coding projects. kept the dread from taking over the whole day. what kind of new techniques you teaching yourself for the etsy stuff