As a child, similar to many others in my generation, I grew up thinking FOR SURE that I’d be a famous YouTuber. It’s just playing games in front of a camera, right? How hard could that be? Turns out, it’s pretty hard. The odds of becoming a social media star these days are very small. It takes lots of hard work, perseverance, talent, and last but not least, lots and lots of luck. As I began high school, I realized that I’d need to find a more realistic career option. This made me feel pretty crushed at the time. Although it may seem silly to be sad over not being a YouTuber, it really is devastating when you find out that you can’t have your dream job. But now, as a college sophomore, I’m more confident than ever in my career path. Here’s how I shifted my mindset away from my unlikely YouTube dreams to a more realistic path in the film industry, and how you can too.

My new dream job is to be a freelance filmmaker and video editor, meaning I’d work with clients to help bring their visions to life. Although it may not seem as fun as being a social media influencer, there IS a surprising amount of overlap for both careers. As a freelancer, I’d get to be my own boss, just like a YouTuber. I’d get to choose what I want to make, who I want to make it with, and when I want to make it. Plus, this gives me the freedom to dip my toes into different fields within the industry. One week I could do an interview, and the next weekend I could do a real estate video! You can choose whatever field within the industry you want to work in as a freelancer, just like a YouTuber. This gets the creative side of me excited, as I know I’ll always have the freedom to shift what content I want to make, and I won’t ever have to worry about an audience leaving me if I do. As long as the work is quality, someone will pay for it.

One part of being a social media star that does NOT overlap with freelance work is the fame. This is something that I really wanted when I was younger, and it’s something that you may want too. But as I’ve gotten older, I see that it’s definitely not as glamorous as it seems. Constantly having people critique you, your appearance, your actions, and your choices would be really difficult. I struggle with anxiety enough as a regular teenager, so I can’t imagine what I’d do if I suddenly had thousands of people constantly putting me under a microscope. Maybe that’s just me, but I really believe 99% of people aren’t built for that lifestyle. Understanding that fame doesn’t always equal “good” was huge for me as I dealt with my career troubles. It freed me to accept a more “normal” job, and it really pushed me to finally find that realistic career path.

Whether you follow my path to become a freelancer, or shift career fields entirely, I feel it’s important to mention that your dream doesn’t have to die just because you choose a safer route. There’s always time to pursue your dreams. Often times, social media stars are young kids in their late teens or early twenties, but that doesn’t mean YOU have to reach their status by that age. Everyone takes different routes in life. If you’re set on being a TikToker, a YouTuber, or any other type of influencer, there’s no reason to put a timeline on it. Find a way to tweak your passion to be a more stable job, make the money you need to live the life you want, and then spend any free time you can chasing that childhood dream. I may be a freelancer for my career, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep YouTube as my dream.

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