Plan B Ambition (Johanna)

‘Tis an unfortunate fact of life that, whenever I have major assignments due, my brain kicks into overdrive. The unfortunate part comes into play on the fact that my brain isn’t milling over the cultural capital of literary adaptations or trying to get my head around Wittgenstein’s Tractatus. One of the big things plaguing me lately has been career related.

 The ultimate plan is to be an actress. I plan to keep auditioning for things, and I will do that year-long course at VCA in July. I’ll probably go to NIDA for a year after this degree is finished and then make several trips to Los Angeles to try and find an agent, involve myself in film and theatre there, et cetera.

However, I guess I am starting to accept just a little bit what all those career advisors said in Year 10, 11 and 12 – I need a Plan B. They basically wanted me to choose something more ‘sensible’ than acting, and eventually choose the path of least resistance. I refused, instead choosing to stick to my guns and exasperate them. But after shirking their help, I am realising that a Plan B might be useful, but in the true sense of the concept. My Plan B is something I will cultivate alongside and secondary to my primary ambition, something I can fall back upon at the point where I have tried and tried and still not succeeded with acting and can’t continue with it.

So, what is Plan B? Well, I’m not sure! Aristotle once said, “Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, therein lies your occupation.” I suppose my talents are that I am terminally creative, I can be a formidable literary force when I want to be, and I like designing things. So, where does this leave me? I suppose I’m heading towards some sort of hybrid between journalist, essayist, designer, illustrator. If there is a one-word job title for that, I’d love to hear it! I suppose I could be something along the lines of a freelance creator who delights in transcending mediums.

This rush of career-based thoughts seems to stem from the fact that 85 Broads are having their University of Melbourne launch seminar-thing next week. I’m going along, optimistically but honestly.. petrified. Having originated as an alumni association for Goldman Sachs, it is still dominated by commerce people even on the undergraduate level. These girls are fiercely smart, self-assured, driven, determined and know exactly what they want – to make ridiculous amounts of money. They are also more than a little bit intimidating to li’l ol’ Arts student me.

I’m still keen on going along, and I am very excited about the idea of networking with other women at uni who value success. But I’m just hoping I don’t walk away feeling stupid, unmotivated and without prospects. Erk.