One of the writing podcasts I listen to talks a lot about “Hustle Culture,” and how toxic it is. This is something I know deep inside me… I’ve always hated the rat-race, and I hate the idea that I have to work my butt off or die.
It pervades throughout modern Canadian culture. It’s everywhere. Everywhere expects you to work harder for less. Longer hours, shorter vacations, more guilt.
I hate it.
But here I am with a novel I’m editing, a movie I want to shoot, a series of short stories I want to submit, and painting commissions to help pay for everything else. Plus a day job that pays most of the bills on top of everything else.
I don’t want to hustle. But I feel like I have to. Because if I stop, I may never be able to stop? Like, I have to “earn” the right to actually relax. I can’t remember the last time I had a day that was just… “off.” Like, a day I didn’t have to do a dozen things for a dozen different projects.
But I need one of these projects to start to take off. I need it to be successful enough that I can start dropping the stuff I dislike to focus on the stuff I like. Or, failing that, I need to have made enough money doing the stuff I dislike that I can actually focus on the stuff I love.
How do I do that? No idea.
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!