If you find yourself dating or married to a partner that is a creative just like you, how do you figure out navigating the ambiguity of pursuing nontraditional careers while managing to approach each season of work with support for one another, and keeping the larger vision in sight?
Forging a creative career requires an enormous amount of energy, investment, and belief that the future will bring you closer to your goals. Finding support via your partner can have a positive impact on your confidence as you make decisions about your future.
But what happens when both partners are pursuing creative careers, and how do each offer and receive support while moving forward as a team?
Take turns literally supporting each other’s dreams: Financial stability may ebb and flow as we build our careers, especially in creative pursuits. Talking about money from the start can help create an environment of understanding.
Embrace a shared enthusiasm for encouraging each other: Take a genuine interest in one another’s work. This will help you arrive at a place where you are equally matched when it comes to passion, energy, and the ability to work hard toward their vision.
Foster a sense of trust and independence: Foster a sense of individuality through your own artistic practices, and this will give you space to create and simply be.
Remain flexible and pick up the slack for each other: The job will be different tomorrow, next week, and next month. Patience with the present and hope for the future is key. On a practical level, that could look like picking up the slack for one another when needed, like pitching in to help with running errands, or making dinner when one of you is heads-down in production mode for a deadline.