'My Creative Career Isn't Sparking Joy!'

Navigating the emotional ups and downs of a creative job is tough, particularly when you haven't learned to take pride in your work yet.

Patio Door with Green Leaf (1956) by Georgia O’Keeffe

Dear Polly,

I thought I wanted to do creative work, and I do, but it hasn't given my life enduring meaning like I thought it would. It gave me meaning-lite with a side of friend breakup and a new flavor of self-criticism.

I quit my tech job about a year ago because I was miserable and bad at having a ma…