FINDING YOUR PATH TO PURPOSE

By Shannon Muir

 

Currently exclusive to this site

 

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I began, as a teenager, wanting to write for television animation.  By the age of thirty, though not yet having made a script sale, animation has become very much a part of my writing life.  For the last year and a half, I've published monthly columns on paying Internet sites geared to career advice for non-artists currently in or want to become part of the animation field.  Though it wasn't my initial goal to be doing this, it grew out of my passion and desires and the personal rewards have been rich.  I think these benefits can be true for anyone, whether rooted in their career or hobby interests. 

 

As previously stated, journalism was not part of my initial goal.  During my attempts to educate myself in a small town far from any major core of the business, finding information proved to be a struggle.  Finding books or mentors in the journalism field proved far easier.  Through what could only be described as either divine intervention or extreme luck, I contacted a couple of animation writers who served as my mentors, and moved to Los Angeles where I would find jobs helping to produce animated programs.

 

It soon became painfully apparent that very little information existed for people who wanted to be involved in the business but not as artists; my trouble getting information did not come from being in a smaller area, as I'd long assumed, but from a lack of availability.  Even the explosion of the Internet hadn't made much of a dent in that area yet, except possibly with voice actors. 

 

Convinced there had to be others in the same position I once was, I decided to see if I could find an outlet for sharing my experiences, along with the viewpoints of others through interviews.  My search brought me to a website which paid little but open to a wide variety of topics they were willing to publish.  While making sure I didn't write for free was important so I could begin establishing professional credentials, mainly I wanted a publishing outlet with a brand versus just launching my own site.  For almost a year, I wrote articles and published interviews for that site.  What brought the association to an end is complicated, but the primary drive came from the fact I needed to spend more time on an animated series I was working on and decided to take a hiatus.  Within several weeks, the order on our series was cut and I would soon be without any work and already had severed ties with the publishing site.

 

The very same day I heard about my job, my Internet searching for job openings brought me to another site -- one geared specifically to animation, which sought columnists.  This would allow me to better reach my target audience, and also paid a little better.  So I wrote up a proposal that was submitted and accepted. No skip in publishing time occurred, only a change in website.  The feedback I've received from the community's active bulletin boards reaffirms this is the place for my work, and helps me figure out what people need or want to know, or sometimes areas even I can learn more about.  In the end, things turned out for the best for the people I set out to inform as well as my writing credits. 

 

The animation field continues to stay tight and tough, like many other industries.  Yet, I have not been dissuaded from my motivated purpose, though it may be months or years before I work directly in the industry again.  There are no times like the lean ones to test your devotion, it seems to me.  Along the way, I am determined to keep in contact with the industry and to bring my readers what the possibilities are so they can be ready to face the challenges now or prepare for the future, if this is truly where their passion leads.  In doing so, my passion and inspiration stay ignited because I know I remain a conduit of information in an area where only recently more people are stepping out to share their expertise and viewpoints.

 

Whether it's writing in and about animation like me, or whatever you're passionate about, I honestly believe that if you can use your skills to make a difference in someone's life you should do it.  Find a niche no one's covering, or a venue no one's taken advantage of when others are publishing on the subject, and go for it.  The search may take a while. Some pay is important, if your goal is to be professional, but sharing knowledge can be part of finding your personal path to purpose.

 

 

 

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