Try a New Cheer Please

Whenever folks ask me what I am going to school for (English - Creative Writing) and what I want to do with that degree (write fiction, young adult) they always follow it up with, "And how are you going to support yourself?" Now I am almost 100% sure that these same folk, when speaking with a Pre Med or student in Law School, do not ask them how they will make a living after getting out of college. Now I know that folks mean well, but I had a hard enough time deciding to follow my passion, I don't need the negative reinforcement. I think the best rule of thumb is, don't listen to anyone who isn't successful in your chosen field of study. I am proud of the fact that I am attempting school on the other side of 35. I do have a Business Degree, I have attempted entrepreneurship, but what I really am is a writer. The creative arts seem to get a bad rap. The term "starving artist" tells it all. Don't tell me you have heard "starving CEO" or "starving banker." I do think that if I believe in the futility of my chosen career path, I will fail. I need to head onto my new path with positivity and a desire to succeed. Maybe I should stop telling strangers that I am at school when they ask, or maybe I could start making things up. So if you run into a short curly - haired chick at the dog park and she tells you she is studying to become a burglar, don't believe her.