Don’t Let the Corporate Bastards Crush Your Soul

I’ve worked in corporate business offices for forty years now. I’ve played all the games, worn the suits, sported power ties, made all the chit-chat in the copier room required to get by. Something always kept me from advancing.

Lack of talent? Possibly.

Deep down, I don’t think I ever fully committed to the bit. I didn’t drink the Kool Aid. I didn’t bend the knee.

I have always played the class clown, cracking wise in meetings, being mildly subordinate. They don’t promote you when you’re mildly subordinate, it turns out.

Stupidly, this annoyed me. I still wanted to succeed. Like, I keep showing up. I have a degree. I’m good at this stuff. Celebrate me already.

The entire time, I was secretly writing stories, creating books, schlepping screenplays to agents and production companies.

Twenty years ago, I met a graphic designer at the office. She was talented, funny, and openly contemptuous of our corporate overlords. Where I was cracking wise, she was mocking. When I was mildly subordinate, she was calling out stupidity. When I snickered at the boss, she laughed at him.

She pursued her art outside of the office, painting portraits, illustrating books, creating mixed media masterpieces. Her intent was only to stay long enough to launch her artistic business.

I shared my writing with her and we connected about the difficulty of making time to do the art thing with a spouse, a house, and a job.

When she left the company to pursue her art, she said, “Don’t let them crush your soul.”

Pursuing a dream, living on your own terms, and doing your art isn’t easy. Your soul is still at risk of being crushed.

The public may be indifferent to your work, be it art, music, or novels.

You may have an inkling of success, but the breakout you need to be financially stable may forever remain beyond your grasp.

The world may have other plans for you, either with relationships, severe weather, or illness.

Any of a thousand-thousand things can go wrong. If you’re doing your art, more than likely, it will sustain your soul. The art, music, or writing will bolster your spirits, maybe even keep your head above water.

I’ve stayed at my job. With my obligations to family, food and shelter, I couldn’t figure out how to leave and spend more time writing.

I’ve kept at it though, evenings and weekends. If anything, it was the lack of talent at storytelling that kept me from getting the breakthrough, just as a lack of talent kept me down at the office.

I’m still writing, though, and, far as I can tell, I’ve kept enough of my soul to feel like it matters that I write.

So I hope it is for you.