I thought I had to know where I was going to get there. But the truth is no one knows where their going. I have changed direction countless times. I’ve been the one to have random epiphanies about my purpose in life. I’ve been the one to make lavish announcements about what I’m going to do in life.

I’ve declared I’m going to be a:

a journalist

a lawyer

a pediatrician

a psychologist

a professor

an entrepreneur

a copywriter

an essayist

a novelist

A career isn’t this linear trajectory that is decided upfront. It winds and turns, often sharply. It goes on for long stretches and then suddenly stops with a layoff cliff. The truth is I’m sure that I’ll be each of these things at some point. But for now I’m a creative recruiter, finishing up her MFA in Writing.

Maybe you wonder how I landed there. Well, that’s what this blog is all about. How we land anywhere. How we navigate anywhere. How we trek the complex space between our ears. How a career is life: open-ended, strange, familiar, and beyond our control.

I briefly mentioned that I’m a creative recruiter. Actually, that’s a lie. I don’t officially start as a creative recruiter until December 2nd. I decided to start a blog about my career because I’ve no idea where I’m going, and I’m okay with that. I mean, I kind of have to be.

Every time I think I have it figured it, my plans fizzle out, and I become disinterested. This is because I put too much pressure on myself to have things preemptively determined. I can’t commit that long to something I’ll likely become bored with, so instead, I chose to commit to my life, wherever it takes me.

So after trashing my longterm career goals, I decided to enjoy the laps. It’s the multiple laps that actually determine the entire course. So all I can do is hope that the culmination of my laps equals a full and productive life.

I think that being a creative recruiter is a great lap for me. I love helping people and giving advice. I enjoy helping others find their way. I’m a creative, so helping other creatives navigate life should be rewarding. I get to build and develop lasting relationships. I get to help people transition from pitstop to lap.

Currently, I help people find work without getting paid to do it. Maybe that’s a good thing, but sometimes when something you love becomes work, it feels like work. Who knows, but I’ll soon find out.