Determined to Create,
and Become Jobless Doing It
Today, I turn 36.
36 years of life flew by. In those years, I’ve learned a lot about myself. One of them being that I am a stubborn idiot who makes irrational decisions. So, here we go with one major one that will most definitely not bite me in the ass.
Come May 2026, I am doubling down on my creative writing and content creation endeavors. I am stepping away from teaching. No contract renewal for me. Or agonizing over whether or not I will find a job. My job will be writing, streaming, and look good doing it.
Okay, that last one is somewhat of a stretch.
This is the part where a responsible person would reassure you, they have a detailed plan for their big goal. In the past, I probably would have given one too. I love making plans and then ignoring those plans altogether. I wish planning translated to my writing but oddly, not a big outliner in that regard… But, anyway, I regret to inform you that what I have is determination, stubbornness, and a deeply unhealthy relationship with Scrivener.
In fairness, Scrivener is pretty damn cool.
For years, my life was plagued with half-finished drafts. And with story ideas I scribbled down in hopes I would ‘circle back’ to them. I did not circle back. I made a vague U-turn and drove straight into distractions.
And yet, writing never left. It hovered. It waited. It tapped me on the shoulder at inconvenient times. During meetings. In the shower. Pacing my room with my dogs judging me. While trying to fall asleep. If you ever saw me on my commute to work, you probably saw me talking to myself. Ideas came and had to be written down, regardless of whether I took the time to explore the story.
So, I’ve stopped flirting with the idea of being a writer… I mean, I did get a Master’s of Creative Writing to stop the silly flirting… And actually, commit to it. No more ‘someday.’ No more pretending that inspiration will magically align with free time, emotional stability, and financial desires. I’m choosing the chaos.
When May 2026 rolls around, writing and streaming become the priority. The thing other plans orbit around. The thing that gets my best energy, not my leftovers or half-hearted dreams, and becomes the new foundation for the new path I am on.
This means I will write and create more content. With luck, the algorithm gods will bless me. But honestly? If it makes me laugh, makes me think, or makes someone else feel a little less alone, it’s doing its job.
Writing is not exactly a safe bet; it never will be. There is no guaranteed paycheck for pouring your soul onto a page. Content creation is so reliant on the zeitgeist and mind share of the time. There are no benefit packages for staring at a blinking cursor while questioning every life choice that led you to that specific moment. It’s work that asks for a lot and promises very little in return.
So, I’m choosing to bet on myself. I’m choosing to write even when no one is reading. I’m choosing to stream, even when no one is watching. I’ve already been doing it, might as well make it full time job instead of dreaming.
Jesús M. Rivera 