Job killing my creativity

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   Bishop55posted 10 years ago

   I work in accounting, not by choice, I always seem to land back in jobs like this.  I make good money and cannot quit my job because of the income it support for our family.  My husband is looking for a new job, so that I can change or quit mine.  In the mean time, it's KILLING my creativity, I've very social by nature, outgoing, and I don't know how to accept and make the best of my situation until I can change it. I'm very lonely in this job and I'm starting to hate talking to people face to face because of it.  Any suggestions?

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Somehow you've got to exercise creativity in your situation.  Incorporate right brained creativity in what you wear. For instance, bright scarfs on the way to work that you take off (or not) once you get there, (depending on the dress code.) Make friends with someone at work who would appreciate it. During lunch break, go draw or paint or whatever is creative for you, even for 10 minutes.
      
      Keep a running log on your true thoughts, hopes, wishes, intentions in life, successes and failures. Try to find humor in everything. Write some scripts based on the drama in your office... or pretend your boss is involved in some sort of secret mission and it is your job to discover what it is.
      
      Make your life your own and incorporate your right brain in this left brain environment...even if you have to keep it hidden from every one there. You need to find a way to rise above the environment with the intent to fight and beat boredom and depression.
      
      Utilize your own will power in some personally meaningful way.  Also, find a way to control your life....a routine of work at home...just for the sake of the work itself. Do your own thing every evening (and on the weekends) for at least a short time. Also try to do fun and relaxing things on your days off... get out and be in nature.
      
      Thats my advice!  Oh, and if you have children or pets, love them. Be with them. Don't ignore them. They can help you with this problem, by just BEing with them and enjoying their presence.

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         Bishop55posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         this was an awesome response.  Thank you.  Great ideas.  I will start some of them ASAP.  I have never been so unhappy in a job in my life. it's not the people, benefits or the company, it's the actual work.  I feel like I could literally die from boredom and stress.  It's making me hate my life!

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I took a job as a gallery attendant at a local art museum. It was an extremely boring job after the first month. The days dragged by, my legs too... Luckily, I became friendly with a with fellow gallery attendant. We began to make up elaborate tales about the managers when we met for tea after work, (at least twice a week, down in Old Town.) We could have written a book or a hilarious movie script!!  Needless to say, it made our work days more interesting.
            I know accounting is very tedious. My father was a controller accountant. I always felt sorry for him having to work so hard and so much. Later in life, he explained that he had been interested in the success of the company. He felt that its success was his success. I never knew he actually enjoyed his work... which he did due to this outlook and personal involvement! Good luck!

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            1. 88

               Bishop55posted 10 years agoin reply to this

               My previous job before the one I have now was in Real Estate, the market tanked and I had to find something else.  I've been in AR, AP, Customer Service, an real estate.  That's really all I know.  I used to enjoy the job I have, I had really good friends there, but with corporate layoffs they are all gone.  It's a very lonely job.  I have a great boss, although spineless, she allows upper management to trampler her (in my opinion), she is very smart and an extremely hard worker, perhaps she doesn't mind being buried in work, but shit rolls down hill and the people she supervises (myself included) are over-worked, and I now feel under-paid.  They set goals then move the goal post.  They have not given raises, and expect us to chase the elusive bonus carrot.  I have some perks, it's 5 miles from home, I'm making decent money, and I have accumulated a lot of time off (but using it sets me back and stresses me out).  I'm just feeling like I can't take the stress of it anymore, the con's are outweighing the pro's.  I look for change, but have not found another job yet.  It's all very sad, lonely, non-creative and miserable.  I like being busy at work, but the workload has gotten out of control and they keep dumping more and more on the "worker bees"  The job you describe in the gallery reminds me of a job I had when I was very young at a record store.  I thought it would be a really cool job, all it was, was filing.  All day long. putting CDs back in order.  I think I lasted 2 weeks!  Maybe you could hub some of the short stories you came up with, with your friend?  that would be fun!  As for me, I think  I need to hang in there until change happens, try to make the best of it, which seems daunting and impossible.  I wish I felt like your father.  I feel like what I do for a living is not impacting anyone, or making anything better or good.

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                  Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  It doesn't have to to be the way it is, does it? It seems to be a sign of the times. Money over quality of life.
                  
                  In the final analysis, I suspected my manager thought I was too darn happy . He tried to get me to be more serious by hounding me. He would write me up for the smallest things. He was aggravated that I was not like the other tree stumps standing around. We were not supposed to speak to the patrons or each other. We could not lean on the walls or look at the paintings as we stood (in those ghastly uniforms) for more than two hours at a time. We could not sit down while on post, ever.  We could only watch for thieves and people touching the artwork. Most people know the rules and are very cooperative and I did a lot of smiling. We were always under surveillance cameras in every gallery. I quit after a year because I was informed I would not receive my 25 cent raise.
                   
                  There was no way to elevate ourselves to higher positions. I originally took the job find out how to become a curator. Once I got labeled a gallery attendant, that was it. I was nowhere's ville. I felt like a member of the peasant class. I would like to write a hub about how to improve the lives of gallery attendants as they stand hour after hour, day after day keeping the public and the pictures safe. You should write (as you have done here...well done, I say!) and research and then publish something about the trickle down effect that national health care regulations or greed or whatever it is that is contributing behind the scenes to your misery, your higher ups' difficulties, and the company's predicament. Fight I say. Expose I say! (without exposing the company or jeopardizing your job, of course.)
                  Others should contribute here. I hope they do.
                  
                  Another thought on the matter:
                  Jobs should not stifle creativity, but incorporate creativity on some level!
                  For instance, gallery attendants should have the opportunity to wear relevant historical/period clothing and be allowed to speak to the patrons about the artwork...(after they have been informed and tested on the material for the sake of accuracy.) They should be trusted to know a thing or two about history, style, techniques, and other interesting facts about the art works in the gallery where assigned. There could be "uniform days" when they are actual guards and "dress-up" days when they interact with the public. Who better to discuss the paintings and sculptures than the guards who are exposed to the works of art day in and day out and who usually have educational back grounds or interests in art?

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