So after a 5 year break I started finally using this glorious thing again and I even conviced someone else to embark on the Wanikani life. Hurrah! I’ve made it to level 4…sniff…oh no… what’s wrong? I want to subscribe to Wankinani but I don’t have a-roo-bite-o (yet) I’ve been throwing out resumes left and right but nobody’s biting ( that’s why they call it a-roo BITE-o because you got a wait for somebody to bite, right? hahaha dies inside) edit: I’m a student so I’m looking for part-time employment
Long rant (only read if you’re an empath or something) : I kind of wanted to start a bow selling business but it’s an over saturated business and I don’t have the gusto to compete with haha the likes of JoJo siwa or the super talented folks on etsy as I’ve never made bows before, I just have a lot of material at home I could use. I wanted to be a YouTuber many times as I like ranting (and I’m not good at much else) but I think nowadays you’ve gotta have a whole darn production team and some ritzy connections to make it on YouTube, or be insanely talented, or both to get noticed on YouTube.I also like singing and I’m trying to make songs but unfortunately I’m not musically talented, so I’m having trouble making a beat and even if I produced a whole album somehow I think nobody would care because people have to sell their soul to make it in that industry anyway … Plus my 二十歳 is coming up and I’mma be too old to start in that. I guess trying to make money from creative ambitions is a dead horse at this point. I’ll just keep trying to apply to all sorts of jobs. In the mean time I’ll sell old toys and nick nacks.
tl;dr: I guess I was just asking for your ideas of market niches I could enter and stocks I could invest in to save up for Wanikani, sorry it’s such a long rant.
There’s no one thing in life that is guaranteed to be successful and profitable.
You seem to have so many dreams and aspirations and things you can do but you’re so afraid of doing them!
You can make your bows and not be selling the same amount that Jojo Siwa does, but you’re still making something of your own and making a little money.
You can start your own Youtube channel with just your phone to record. Many of today’s biggest Youtubers indeed start off without the whole production team. It’s a question of luck (and questionably talent) if you’ll make it but if you have a phone or recording device, it’s free to try!
Same with songs, just try writing your lyrics, watch Youtube tutorials on how to make beats on software, I’m sure there are plenty of solutions online for that. You don’t have to “make it into the industry” to take your first steps.
All this to say, you don’t have to be the best or even in the top 100 or heck even the top 500 of something or some industry to do things you’re passionate about.
There are hundreds of thousands of music artists and only 1% are Madonna, Michael Jackson or Elvis Prestley. Do you only listen or care about the biggest acts? Is everything else worthless of even putting out?
You’re young so a little shift in life perspective could seriously help you. You have a very negative look on yourself and your capabilities (which is quite normal at your age, I feel like).
You have a bright future ahead of you, don’t give up before you even try!
Both Duskglow and GussuriCat made excellent points so I will only add a few more sentences.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So it doesn’t matter if you haven’t perfected your shot yet. Take a shot and see what happens. Refine and readjust based on how it goes. Then every succeding shot will be better than the one prior.
“If you never ask, the answer will always be no.” Normally this is romance advice But it also applies here. If you don’t have your product available to the public, no one can buy it right? So put it out there for the world to see. Then same as above, refine and readjust your product based on feedback.
Last entry I promise, since this quote always fires me up whenever I start doubting myself:
“Remember, the thoughts that you think and the statements you make regarding yourself determine your mental attitude. If you have a worthwhile objective, find the one reason why you can achieve it rather than hundreds of reasons why you can’t.” ― Napoleon Hill
The internet definitely encourages people to think globally instead of locally, and that can be really discouraging when you feel like one voice lost in thousands of other, louder voices. But is there any way you can start your creative hustles locally? I know I don’t put a lot of energy into promoting my art online, but there are local craft and comic shows that I go to and sell my work at. I’m not like Raina Telgemeier or anything but people still buy and read my stuff!
You don’t have to be The Number One Best at your thing to do it! You don’t have to compete with the biggest names on the internet to sell bows at craft shows, or perform at local venues, or … I don’t know what the local equivalent of YouTube is.
Also: TWENTY IS NOT TOO OLD. Any age is a fine age to start a thing as long as you can put the time and effort in. It makes me so sad to think of life as being over and set in stone at 20 when you have so so many years ahead of you.
You could find a part-time job at your college. Also, you could just find work at a store, cafe, or restaurant.
Think about it. One hour working at one of those jobs pays for a month’s worth of Wanikani and that month’s worth of Wanikani can lead to an invaluable source of knowledge and pleasure for your Japanese needs!
If you’re not as good at something as you think you need to be to earn money from it, then practice. A lot. People who are good at what they do aren’t good because they’re born with that talent - they’re good because they’ve practiced a whole bunch.
Yes this! You’re only (almost) 20, and still a student – just go for any part-time student job you’re capable of doing and work well at it. No need to waste time searching for the “best stocks or market niches” (there is no best).
A student job doesn’t have to be perfect, long term, or even related to your future career – and they’re usually pretty easy to find (depending on where you live, how motivated you are, and seasonal opportunities).
Also important is learning how to manage your money, regardless of how much you earn – allocate every cent a purpose before you spend it.
Just to add to the TWENTY IS NOT OLD chorus, I didn’t start making music until I was 28 (still young) and when I was 30 I went on tour in Japan (I’m from the UK). I didn’t make money but I didn’t lose money either and it was a dream come true for me 19 year old me could never have guessed.
… Plus my 二十歳 is coming up and I’mma be too old to start in that. I guess trying to make money from creative ambitions is a dead horse at this point. I’ll just keep trying to apply to all sorts of jobs. In the mean time I’ll sell old toys and nick nacks.
But it also applies here. If you don’t have your product available to the public, no one can buy it right? So put it out there for the world to see. Then same as above, refine and readjust your product based on feedback.
