i miss my unemployed era

There's an overgeneralized belief that every author must aspire to write full-time.

Caveat: this is going to be one of those posts where I braid my perspective as a therapist-in-training with my perspective as an author. If reading about mental health isn’t your thing, tread carefully.

As the title says, I miss my unemployed era. Back in 2021, the job market was (and, honestly, continues to be) in shambles. When I wasn’t pulling my hair out over job applications and interviews that went nowhere, I spent my time reading, watching films, partying at gay clubs, visiting friends across the east coast, and making art. Specifically, I wrote a ton of books. I was very privileged to be buoyed by familial financial support (and substantial amounts of credit card debt) so I had a lot of freedom.

I felt more like myself then than I feel now. I’m contributing to society by studying for my future career and working as an intern, sure. But back then? Back then, I felt real.