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when i grow up…

Oh Joy London

Oh Joy London

Last week, while speaking a Blogtacular in London, I was giving some background on my history and how the things I did led to the things I do today. It's always funny to go back in time and revisit those things you did and said and forgot about until you revisit your past. I once said I wanted to be a geneticist, a botanist, or a martial arts stunt double. And then I turned into a graphic designer and a blogger.

I'm curious what you thought you wanted to be when you grew up and how different that is from what you actually do now? I find the differences so fascinating…

{Photo by Bonnie Tsang}

83 comments

  1. I wanted to be an ER doctor and save lives. I also wanted to be a cartographer. Now I’m a graphic designer but I want to paint my ‘mini gallery wall’ paintings full time!

  2. Hey Joy!
    I thought it wanted to be a Rabbi, instead I’m currently finishing a Ph.D. In social work!
    Mind sharing where your awesome bag is from?
    Thanks!

  3. I really wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid! I even had a VHS box set of NASA footage. I would sneak outside to lay in the grass and just look at the stars. I also wanted to be an actor on SNL.
    Now I’m a sarcastic dreamer working as an interior designer, screen printer/artist, and adjunct professor.
    I really should sneak out more to stargaze!

  4. I wanted to be a jockey when I was little. While I am not overly tall & am too tall & heavy to be a jockey. I do still ride horses & I barrel race on my free time but otherwise I am a photographer & work at a financial institution by day. So… I guess partially got to fulfill my childhood career? But not really? LOL

  5. my mother recently came across and all about me book i filled out when i was little and it proclaimed i wanted to be a “dolphin trainer waitress”. Well as a career I became a graphic designer and then left it behind to become a stay at home mom and am pretty sure i have my dream job now 🙂

  6. I had my heart set on being an optometrist from 7th grade on.. until I got to college and realized I absolutely despise science! I hung onto my biology major until my junior year when I accepted that my heart wasn’t in it. I am insanely passionate about both Spanish and student development in higher education (I’m an RA on campus!) and decided to pursue a Spanish degree. I graduate in December and am planning on getting my Master’s in Higher Ed so I can be “in college” for the rest of my life! 😉 I couldn’t be happier – it is so important to listen to your heart and follow your dreams, even if it means making big scary changes!

  7. When I was younger I wanted to be a baker, a librarian, an artist… or a Disney princess. I then thought I wanted to go into teaching and even went ahead and earned my masters in education. While education is still important to me, I think I’d rather teach college level. Teaching middle schoolers and high schoolers consumed so much of me. I never had the time or energy to make my art anymore. I’m an artist because I really believe that is what I was born to be and I have focused on making that dream a reality…

  8. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  9. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  10. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  11. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  12. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  13. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  14. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  15. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  16. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  17. Wow!! That sound familiar to me 🙂 I wanted to be a doctor and actually went to medical school, once I got my degree I decided that what made me happy it was design things with my hands and since then, that happened a year ago, I´m working in my first collection of leather handbags in collaboration with my husband!! 🙂 Is amazing how much we change and I personally think that we live life once and we should follow our interior voice that move our hearts to do mazing things!!
    And if some of you would love to try an amazing recipe of a raw vegan chocolate you can find it in our blog!! Happy Wednesday 🙂
    http://cueroandmorinspiration.com/raw-chocolate/

  18. First, I wanted to be a teacher. Then I wanted to be a flight attendant. I thought, whatever I did, I would NEVER get married or settle down. At the age of 18, I met a guy, and he redefined everything. We got married at 19 and had our daughter all in the same yr! Talk about not seeing THAT coming. I sure did not! However, I would not change an ounce of it. Today, I am a stay at home mom and a shopaholic. Everyday is a slow peaceful dream on the beach. 🙂 I’m so glad I never became a teacher or a flight attendant! Life doesn’t get any better then this!

  19. I wanted to be an actress. I love the idea of escaping into another world and be someone else, but just for a little while.
    I work at a movie studio now, but it’s just to pay the bills. Eventually I want to be a full time blogger. Hoping the day will come soon.
    Allison over at Allison’s Eye

  20. My husband teases me about this… 🙂 I originally wanted to be a marine biologist, then author/illustrator (probably the closest to where I ended up), then a teacher, then a forensic chemist, and now I’m a graphic designer. I cannot even IMAGINE being stuck in a dingy, cold lab as a forensic chemist right now… shudder! On bad days I envision myself owning a small bakery, rising with the sun… but I love my chosen career path 99% of the time.

  21. When I was little I told my mom that I wanted to be a fisherman in the morning, and a pediatrician in the afternoon. I am now a graphic designer and blogger! Ha!

  22. I wanted to be so many things when I was a kid. I loved acting, drawing, writing, taking pictures, dancing…blogging takes care of most of those dreams. 😀

  23. My earliest desire was to be an English teacher, but in first grade I missed the day where we all decided what career we would research and a few people had already said teacher, so I ended up researching, “A Career in Mortuary Services.” My mom was surprisingly unconcerned, as was my teacher, and I did a whole report on the process of embalming and organizing funerals. I later wanted to be a French teacher, a linguist, an interpreter, or a government spy. In reality, I became a classical musician and private music teacher. So not too far from the original dream!

  24. I loved playing with legos so I wanted to be an architect. Then I found a strong passion for art and I wanted to be a graphic designer all through high school. I actually majored in Marketing and got my degree in Business Administration. Now I’m an Academic Advisor and help students figure out what they want to become and reach their goals! I’m also a visual artist on the side. 😉

  25. I wanted to be an archeologist, and it’s funny because my little cousin did become an archeologist, and I’ve always felt like she stole my idea. I’m a high school teacher and a mom, and never in a million years as a high school student would I have believed I’d become a high school teacher (by then I wanted to be a beekeeper)

  26. It is interesting to think about the twists and turns your life takes and how they get you to exactly where you need to be somehow. I wanted to be an actress and am now Vice President of a Creative Marketing Agency. I would say though, that my days as a child spent in rehearsals and on stage gave me some skills I use today in my career, like preparation for presentations and the confidence to stand up in front of crowd.

  27. This is so fun to reminisce on what you were so passionate about & what you’ve become passionate about now…I desperately wanted to be a Disney Character Animator or Background Artist, until I realized something: you know when you want to be a part of something that seems to be so perfect, & when you get involved with it you leave it feeling like it is, perhaps great, but that “magic/mystery” is gone? I didn’t want to sacrifice that mystery, & additionally was more intrigued with the “old school” & authentic way of drawing rather than drawing digitally, as that was the direction it was mostly going, so I eventually accepted it wasn’t for me. Now, I’m a freelance calligrapher/graphic designer/illustrator & love every part of it! Same direction as in the arts, but different paths for sure. I May even have Disney movies playing in the background to keep me inspired! 🙂

  28. I wanted to be a vet…I then went to an appointment with my dog when I was a teen and saw her getting shots and decided I couldn’t do that to animals, even if it was helping them! My 3rd grade teacher always knew that I would be a writer, and she was right. I write like a maniac, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  29. I wanted to be a vet at first, then a marine biologist but I ended up doing my Masters of Fine and Decorative Art and working for an arts foundation in downtown Toronto – nowhere near the sea or farm!
    I run a series on my blog interviewing artists about their practice, and that’s one of the questions I ask. The answers range from astronaut to palaeontologist. Not many knew they wanted to work in the arts! It’s so interesting what kids want to be – how many actually stick to that career path! What big dreams our little selves had.

  30. I wanted to be a veterinarian, then a zoo keeper and at one point I was very adamant about designing cat houses for a living. Yep! In high school I started pursuing fashion design but it was a bit too cut throat… and now I’m a DIY blogger! It wasn’t until college that I realized all the crafting I’d been doing my whole life could be my job! WIN!

  31. My first dream job was to be The Queen of the Highwire. That lasted from about age 5-7. Then I wanted to be a mailman, then a vet. In high school I said I wanted to be a physical therapist because it made my mom happy, but I really wanted to be an artist. Now I’m a floral designer and a painter.

  32. It’s funny, my 7 year old just asked me this yesterday. He was telling me that he wants to work at Target during the summer and he wants to be a principal during the school year. 🙂 I told that when I was little, I wanted to be a teacher and then I wanted to be a graphic designer.

  33. My first childhood memory/dream was to be a flight attendant. As a baby, my parents would take us on road trips all the time and we loved it. I remember being giddy at a young age because my family were going to pick someone up from the airport – the thought of how lucky the flight attendants were to travel all the time and as a profession. They looked poised, beautiful, and happy. Then as I got older, I thought being an Architect was going to be my career choice…until I took some classes and knew it wasn’t for me. I loved art and design but hated Math with a passion. What to do next? I took classes here and there until one day a flyer on a door in college caught my attention. I have to say, being a graphic designer was the perfect choice. So when people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them -“I get to draw all day!” What happened to the flight attendant dream? It’s still there, I just get to travel without the uniform 😉

  34. when i was growing up i wanted to be a fashion designer, cooking show host or actress or maybe just angela on who’s boss 🙂 i wound up working in the music business for over 10 years and now i am a wellness advocate sharing and teaching essential oils for health and wellness and a mommy. 🙂

  35. I always wanted to be an architect as a kid. And at one point I wanted to be landscape architect and sent all these back yard plans I did in to Southern Living in the hopes they would make over our back yard. I did get a nice list of design schools back from the editor. Now I’m an interior designer and product designer with my own hardware line – knobs and pulls. So not all that far off!

  36. I wanted to be a doctor when I was really little. I was awful at math and science, apart from biology, so it wasn’t a possibility.
    I now have a career as a library technician.

  37. I always wanted to be a movie star when I was little and I still find that funny because I’m a bit camera shy. Then I wanted to be a psychologist, school counselor, and now wedding coordinator/blogger. I find it crazy how many different dreams we can have, but we never know exactly where the road may take us.
    P.S. I love your bag! Where did you get it?
    Xo,
    Jess

  38. Gosh, this topic is so me! When I was little I wanted to be a vet, an actor, a music producer, a radio DJ, a book editor and then a sub-editor for magazines. When I eventually got to university I did Media and Cultural studies thinking that would hopefully cover me for whatever I decided upon. A brief stint in fashion as a studio assistant and runner (which I loved but the pay was bad and it was a bit Devil Wears Prada for me!) I worked in events and then eventually got into Buying. At last I thought, I found what I’m meant to be doing.. I enjoyed it but I wasn’t that great at it and in the end gave up work to be a full time mum to my two little kids. While they’re young I have started my own business – an online shop (www.aneatlittleshop.com) – but soon they will start school and I’ll have to think about going back to work – but what to do!? I hope one day I’ll figure out what I’m meant to do when I grow up!
    (ps – my 4 yr wants to be a mermaid when she grows up!)

  39. As a child and teenager, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Now I’m an accountant. Ha! I’m toying w/ the idea of starting a blog and have been reading your book, but I struggle thinking i don’t have anything to offer to the world. I’ll keep reading your book!
    I love your blog. I’m probably way out of your normal demographic but I enjoy the bright colors of the blog page and the short, very interesting posts about your daughter, California eating spots, and your travels. Thanks so much!

  40. Um, I wanted to be a goat when I grew up so I could eat tin cans and apples! WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT ME?
    Then one day someone said “I think that you should like design the stuff you see printed on dixie cups.”

  41. this is a great question. I wanted to be a doctor when I was young. Now, I am pursuing a field in occupational therapy, but before this I’ve worked in accounting and non profits. 🙂

  42. I wanted to be a teacher, since about the age of 5. Artist, Illustrator, Interior designer and Graphics designer were occasionally paired with teacher, but teacher was always there. I am now a childcare worker, teaching my favourite age group, 0-2’s. 🙂

  43. I wanted to be a teacher this is probably around 6yrs old and I day dreamed of becoming a Princess (married to Prince Andrew of England…?? yes, that specific!! ha!) then I thought a Secretary would be fun (organiser!) and then a Graphic Designer/Illustrator at around 15…I studied Accounting but am finding myself drawn to the graphic Design/Illustration career…wish i had done something creative!

  44. Hey Anastasia, we have the same sentiments! When I was little I wanted to be a teacher, and then when I was in my teens a fashion designer, and then a graphic designer. I ended up studying accounting and even worked in finance for a while, only to discover it wasn’t my cup of tea. I then worked in publishing, but didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I’m now a writer and thank god for softwares like PicMonkey and Canva (and Photoshop), that I can still learn a thing or two on graphic designing.

  45. While I was a child, I want to be a inventor or hacker. At that time, I had interest in anything, such as physics, geography, mathematics, calculator, universe. But now, I become a programmer. Everything has changed, I think I had lost a lot of fun in my life.

  46. That’s too funny! When I was younger I wanted to be a chef or a cat. haha! I blog now and most of my content is about food, so it kind of worked out in my favor! And I’m going to school for Graphic design. As for becoming a cat, I did not succeed…
    xoxo
    Taylor

  47. When I was younger my first dream job was a hairdresser, then a vet, then an architect, then a flight attendant, then an interior designer, then a photographer, then i considered marine biology, and ended up finally choosing a major in textile design/fiber arts. Recently I have been working as a part-time nanny, weaving and other fiber arts on the side, but dreamed of having my own farm, where I could raise alpacas and live off the land. Which I’ll still consider for the future, but because we plan on starting a family, I think running a farm at the same time would be too much. So being a mommy, and hopefully getting my business up and running is my goal right now.

  48. According to my preschool yearbook, I wanted to be a princess when I grew up. I’m sure my teachers had a good laugh while typing up my bio. Now I’m only a few weeks away from becoming an attorney.

  49. I wanted to be an artist, and then a writer-illustrator, and then a pirate (so that I can travel the world). I wound up studying landscape architecture and working as an urban designer for several years. A year ago I jumped ship, and am now back pursuing the artist/writer-illustrator/world traveller dream. I’ve come full circle!

  50. Isn’t it funny how the things we did in our past can effect our present and future? I wanted to be an opera singer (weird? kind of.) and I went to college for that. While in school I started a jewelry business and also interned at a clothing boutique. I realized that my love for music wasn’t as strong as my love for design and moved to New York after school to do PR in the fashion industry. I ended up coming back to KC to get married and did PR and event planning for a media publication company. Now I stay at home with my kids and started blogging last year, but all of those jobs have honed skills for what I do right now! I know a bit about small biz from the jewelry company, I know a bit about design from my PR/marketing job, I had a blog about living in New York while I was there…it’s so amazing how life is all tied together like that!

  51. I’ve been thinking about this so much. I’m only one year fresh out of college so I don’t have too much to reflect on. Right now, I’m at a point of questioning where I’ll go next and where my career will eventually end up. I’m learning that there are so many factors to happiness in a job and at times it seems impossible that I’ll find something that I am truly happy doing, while other times, I feel like the world is truly my oyster. 20s is tough right now, but it’s always fun to reflect on the days when I thought I would be a scriptwriter for TV shows, a veterinarian, and even a marine biologist (thank you, Sea World). If anyone has any advice for a twenty-something I would greatly appreciate it!

  52. At age 5 I wanted to be a paleontologist. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and the PBS show Wild America. Anyone remember that? I always loved to draw and paint, even from before I can remember, so it isn’t surprising that I ended up becoming an illustrator and graphic designer, but I’ve always loved science even though math and I don’t get along. I also wanted to be a dolphin trainer, meteorologist, and geologist and I almost changed my major in college to geology. I’m glad I didn’t, but I still love rocks! It’s hard sometimes to pick a passion if you have many and turn one into a profession.

  53. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  54. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  55. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  56. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  57. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  58. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  59. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  60. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  61. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  62. When I was very young (like 6 or 7), my classmates voted on what they thought everyone else would be someday. They voted that I would be an artist, but I really wanted to be a zoologist, then a veterinarian… then I decided I would be an environmental scientist by my teenage years and became a geographer during college and was going to go into atmospheric studies eventually… but couldn’t find the “ideal” job… Now, I’m designing/creating. I should have just listened to my classmates some 25 years ago! haha!

  63. I wanted to be a vet nurse and I’ve become a consultant for a mining company. I still might be a vet nurse one day.

  64. I was always pretty cagey when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I spent a lot of time writing newsletters about/for my stuffed animals, and drawing comics about a cat named Tanja that went to Paris and was a spy. So now I’m… surprise! a freelance writer and still end up writing newsletters sometimes. And it makes a good story on my portfolio site. In high school, my English teacher decided to take an entire class to read my short story assignment out loud (incredibly embarrassing, even though I was proud of it) and one day I’ll finish this novel I’m working on too. Nearly took a detour into being a professional classical musician, but chose journalism school in the end. Though it all worked out, as I spent years at a big arts centre writing about music.

  65. I feel like kids either want to be 100 different things when they grow up, or they want that one thing and they turn out to be just that!
    I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid, but I knew there was no money in that (so sad!) so I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. I kept doing art and started doing a lot of playing around in Photoshop, and then low and behold I graduated college with a BFA in graphic design! Granted being a graphic designer is definitely not the same as an artist, but I find it funny that I ended up in a profession where I can draw and be creative and I get paid for it 🙂

  66. I feel like kids either want to be 100 different things when they grow up, or they want that one thing and they turn out to be just that!
    I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid, but I knew there was no money in that (so sad!) so I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. I kept doing art and started doing a lot of playing around in Photoshop, and then low and behold I graduated college with a BFA in graphic design! Granted being a graphic designer is definitely not the same as an artist, but I find it funny that I ended up in a profession where I can draw and be creative and I get paid for it 🙂

  67. I feel like kids either want to be 100 different things when they grow up, or they want that one thing and they turn out to be just that!
    I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid, but I knew there was no money in that (so sad!) so I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. I kept doing art and started doing a lot of playing around in Photoshop, and then low and behold I graduated college with a BFA in graphic design! Granted being a graphic designer is definitely not the same as an artist, but I find it funny that I ended up in a profession where I can draw and be creative and I get paid for it 🙂

  68. i took the other way: as a child i wanted to become an artist, later i planned on studying architectur. now i’m a medical doctor going into ER…

  69. Love this question and reading everyone’s responses.
    I wanted to be an artist when I was 4 a writer at age 10 and photographer from 12 and up. I’m now a graphic designer / copywriter looking to start my own photog business on the side! I guess I haven’t changed much since I was little

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