Lucia asked Rick Riordan:

hi! a general life advice question: assuming your career doesn't revolve around the arts/creativity, how do you intentionally make room for that while still being part of the rat race? I'm going into college soon & have no idea how I'm going to survive out there without the chance to foster meaning & beauty. how did you do it? does writing books as a career take away the magic & turn it monotonous? sos haha

Rick Riordan You're asking the right questions, and that's the most important thing! You are right that it is a tough thing to do, earning a living but also finding space for creativity. While I don't have a perfect answer, I would say at this point in your life the best thing is just to have new experiences, take all sorts of different classes in college, and try to find what you're passionate about. You may end up going in directions you never even considered, and that's great! I wasn't a full-time writer until I was forty years old. Fortunately, I loved being a classroom teacher, because teaching history and literature was very 'creativity adjacent,' and I got to hone my skills as a storyteller. Your path may be different. You may find your calling and find success much earlier, but don't despair if everything isn't clear, or if things take a long time. It's true that very few people are able to earn a full-time living with their art, but the good news is that art can always be an important part of your life, whether it's your day job or not. Good luck!

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