READER QUESTION: WHERE TO FIND THE COURAGE TO BECOME A BLOGGER-ENTREPRENEUR? WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
Hello Miss Carmina!
I am an avid reader of your blog and I very much look forward to your books. My inquiry is not of a promotional matter, but a personal inquiry. What I’d like to know is how you got to where you are. I’ve read the articles about you, but what I really want to know is what gave you the courage to abandon a day job and how you knew you’d make enough money as a blogger/writer to support your lifestyle? I’m an artisan, well, a budding one. I studied fashion design in school, then I went into alternative modeling, and the shoe didn’t quite fit. Now I’ve come to realize that I do enjoy making things – from photos, to clothing and accessories. I simply like to create and I want to make my career out of that, however, I’m not even sure what direction to go in. As you are a young entrepreneur, I’d like to know your story, more than what those articles have said. What kept you going, and how did you meet the people necessary to accomplish all that you have accomplished?
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to reading your books and continuing to read your blogs!
Miau, kisskiss, Ia
Dear Miss Ia,
Thank you for your sweet message! I’ve received questions like this before, but never as beautifully worded as yours. I’m delighted to share my thoughts. (Perhaps I’ll turn this into a regular feature, if there is interest?)
† Education = Confidence. I can’t stress this enough. With degrees from Columbia and Yale Law, I have no doubt that I can find meaningful work, in any city and in almost any field. I have no qualms about adapting to changing situations; if the Internet explodes tomorrow, I can still be a scribe or consul, scratching away on papyrus with my quill…
Because of my education, I’m not afraid to plunge into the uncharted waters of J-pop writing/blogging/design. What’s there to lose? If my work didn’t take off and I ran out of money, I’d simply move on to something else. And I wouldn’t have regrets – because for that period, I would have been pursuing something that was 100% my own.
Education also means being in an environment that inspires courage. At Yale, one of my best friends was a bestselling author, and quite a few students were published authors or had agents – so why not me? When you’re around smart, self-motivated people (who tend to be at top universities), your scope of possibility expands… If I hadn’t gone to school, I wouldn’t have fathomed writing a book, starting a business, or even living alone in a foreign country!
Must you work in the field you study? Absolutely not, unless you want to mummify yourself! I went to law school; you went to fashion school – all this means is that we picked up skills and succeeded in a rigorous program. This pattern will continue wherever you go (and it bodes well for starting a business).
† My advice for getting started: DIY & DIN! (Do it yourself and do it now!) I have a lot of friends who talk big but never launch a thing. If you’re disgruntled with alternative modeling, DIY & DIN: grab a camera, style yourself, take the photos yourself and get the images on the Net. Blogs and YouTube let you upload content for free, and you get an immediate response – so what are you waiting for? DIY & DIN! If you want to test the waters for an accessories business, get your goods on eBay and Etsy, and see what happens. Again, surrounding yourself with smart and self-motivated people gives you the confidence to figure it out. Video editing, web design, setting up a business… if others can do it, you can too.
† If you want your main career to be an artistic one, you MUST treat it like a business. Remember: publishers, boutiques, and record labels will only invest in something that sells. So you’ve got to do the Kung Fu Hustle! Highlight your press mentions and online presence. Pitch your project from a sales angle; once you have the green light, you can make it your own. For example, my Theme Restaurants book contains stories about my friends and our adventures in Tokyo – tales that otherwise wouldn’t have been published.
† Be bold and get your creations out there, and you’ll have no trouble meeting likeminded travelers! My recent collaborations with J-List, Aromaleigh, Gloomth, Lime Crime and Akina stemmed from mutual admiration, or introductions by readers who enjoy our work. Every day, a new opportunity springs up from these connections: an interview, a co-promotion, an ad sale… I’m amazed at how many encouraging people I’ve met through my blog and videos.
† Finally, don’t fret over finding the perfectly-fitting shoe. Cinderella is a fairy tale; wouldn’t it be horrible to wear glass slippers every day? Better to have a closet full of Mary Janes, Goth knee-boots, and rocking horse shoes!
Ten years ago, everyone was literally “web crawling” via 32K modems. How could I have foreseen a career as a blogger? And did I ever expect to live in Tokyo or own a Scottish Fold cat? Madness!
My advice is to keep up with the latest web technologies, especially social networks. This is where young people have a major edge, so let’s take full advantage of it. Perhaps (as was the case with me) your career hasn’t been invented yet – but when it comes around, you’ll be ready to pounce.
Til then… be a ninja, dye your hair, nightcrawl with vampires, and you can’t go wrong! (For fun, I’ve included some old photos from 2004-2006.)
Would you like to see more Q&A features like this one? Let me know what you think in the comments, and you’re always welcome to send me questions via email. You can email and share this entry (below); and keep the entries coming for the Basil Farrow & J-List blog contest!
Song of the Day #112: SaTaN – Death Song (From The Styx)
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