Dream Jobs

Hello, dear all out there,

when you're little, you imagine dream jobs, what you might like to be when you grow up. You're still young and can't judge whether it makes sense, whether it's realistic, whether you can earn money with it, whether it's something for the future. No, a dream job comes from the gut.

Then later, when you're grown up, your head takes over and you make your decisions. Only those who are very determined and have the right support will probably be able to pursue their dream job. But what about the others? Even if you ended up becoming something completely different from what you dreamed of as a child—does that dream job from back then still play a role in today's life? That dream-job wish must have some meaning for our adult lives, right?

I know, a very difficult question. You really have to think about it first. ... In the meantime, I'll tell you a little about myself on this topic:

My dream job—around 4th/5th grade—was fashion designer, photographer, or window dresser. It's noticeable that all 3 career wishes have to do with designing, creating, decorating, creativity, and images. These preferences must already have been in me as a child; otherwise I couldn't have imagined them as dream jobs.

For many reasons, I didn't become any of those things, not even anything creative, but ended up in an office. Those dream-job wishes fell into oblivion—as if they had only been dreams. And yet, by roundabout ways, they have slipped into my life. In my handicrafts today, I am a designer, photographer, creator, decorator—all on a small scale, but with a great deal of love and passion. So those dream-job wishes from back then did have their purpose.

How is it for you? I'd be happy if one or another of you shared a little about yourselves.

Warm regards from Ina

My dream job as a child actually has absolutely nothing to do with what I do now, and when I really think about it, that job probably wouldn’t be what I consider a great career today either.
So, as a child, I absolutely wanted to be a train conductor. This desire came on quite suddenly when I was allowed to spend the summer at my grandma’s and took the train there with her. Then the conductor came into the compartment and asked to see our tickets. My grandma fumbled around in her purse and couldn’t find them right away, and meanwhile, the conductor stood there completely calm, as if he had all the time in the world, and spoke reassuringly to my grandma, who was very embarrassed that he had to wait so long because of her. When the tickets finally turned up, he punched a big hole in them. It looked very dignified, the way he punched that hole there in his uniform with his cap on his head. I wanted to do something like that, too.
But when I ride the train now and then, I don’t imagine it to be quite so nice anymore. Somehow, they all seem very stressed, and on some trains there aren’t even any conductors anymore.

Haha... I also wanted to be a window display designer at one point...

As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian and a journalist; as a teenager, I added “author” to the list, along with the aforementioned window display designer—and I even wanted to be a hairstylist at one point.

Then I started my vocational diploma and wanted to study math, but that’s when I discovered my love for accounting. I ended up training as a bank clerk. After my apprenticeship, though, I took a different path, becoming an agency manager and taking continuing education courses in web design (on the side). I also threw a second apprenticeship as a pharmaceutical commercial assistant into my career and specialized in cosmetics and wound care.  After moving from Rhineland-Palatinate to Bavaria, I ended up working in accounting and advertising.

From there, I briefly worked in purchasing for a manufacturing company, then became a mom, and eventually started my own business doing crochet.

So sometimes I think to myself that I have a résumé that spans at least three lifetimes. But every experience has helped me grow.

@berlidesign ... you just made me feel quite dizzy with all the different things you’ve already done, learned, and worked at. Sometimes it’s hard to choose just one thing or to stay on that path. Sometimes one thing alone isn’t enough because you have many interests and talents that want to be developed and tried out. In the end, it all had its purpose and is useful to you today.  

@iglinz ... that was a lovely story. I could practically see you on the train with your grandma. Your grandma was quite nervous and rummaging in her handbag, and you were watching the whole scene. As a child, you weren’t responsible for the ticket, after all. It’s nice that the conductor carried out his duties so calmly and with such dignity. No, today I can’t imagine that being a dream job. As a child, you see things from a completely different perspective.

Thank you both for sharing.

That’s a good question:

when I was 5, I said I was going to be a mom and have 8 kids. I’ve already achieved that goal with my 6 own children and 2 stepchildren.
Then I wanted to become a needlework teacher. I ended up at a vocational school for home economics. That’s when my first child came along.
After having three children, I completed an apprenticeship as an advertising graphic designer.
Somehow I ended up working as a cosmetics sales representative, then as a child care provider; for a while, I cared for my mother-in-law, which led me to herbalism—working with creams, tinctures, and juices.
On the side, I renovated an old farmhouse and was thus a “construction worker specializing in historic building restoration,” as my son once wrote in an essay. So I can hang wallpaper, lay tiles, set pavers, paint, do woodwork, and plaster.
For a few years, I worked in sales at a fashion store, and now here I am: I can do needlework and engage with fashion trends. Advertising still isn’t really my thing (which is also why I haven’t worked much in that field), and to be completely honest, most of my creations are clearly for kids ;-)

I believe that everything we’ve planned—or even haven’t planned—in life has a purpose. And sometimes it takes a few detours to get where we want to go ;-)

Best wishes, Sabine

Back then, I wanted to do something with flowers. I trained to be a sales clerk in the produce department. After German reunification, I had to complete retraining as a retail saleswoman. It was for nothing—I remained unemployed. My kids were still in daycare at the time.
After the big move from East to West, I got my foot in the door of the working world. Not for long, though. Unfortunately.
Now I’m constantly switching between looking for work and working through a temp agency. Now I’m back home.... At almost 55, things aren’t looking great.

But I do a lot of crocheting for my granddaughters’ dolls. I’m sure I’ll come up with something good eventually.

Gabi

So when we were asked about our career aspirations in school, I wanted to become a porcelain painter. I’ve always loved drawing and painting. Somehow it didn’t work out—the training was too far away… and so on.
Then I trained as a clerical assistant (including shorthand), and later got my “secretary” certification.
Then I worked at a small service company, and later, from 1983 to 1985, as a secretary at the Ilmenau University of Technology (now TU). My boss was a professor. It was really cool, as a young woman, to work with the latest technological developments in the office and to type on a K1520 computer. The great thing was, I then had my “own” electronic typewriter with automatic page storage. Until then, I’d only known the “Erika” or the “Optima.”
Later, I helped out privately at my father-in-law’s scissors-sharpening shop (doing calculations, writing up invoices, and handling the receipt and dispatch of customer orders).
Then came the ABM program and periods of unemployment, dismantling control cabinets, working in landscaping, occasionally as a temporary waitress, driving painted wooden chairs into the wood shed for my former landlord in a small van, and an ABM job at the Kösener plush toy factory (sewing and finishing plush toys and dolls). I’ve had a sewing machine ever since. Later, I completed my training as a healthcare and nursing assistant. So it was never boring.

As a little girl, I absolutely, positively wanted to become an elementary school teacher—partly because I loved my teacher so dearly.
Starting in puberty, I wanted to study medicine and then become a forensic pathologist.
After graduating from high school, I ultimately decided—because otherwise I would have had to take a waiting semester (today I find that line of thinking and the decision itself quite nonsensical, and I would advise my children to take those waiting semesters)—to pursue a teaching degree in German and history.
Then my oldest daughter “came along,” which left me with little time to study, and after I couldn’t pass several courses due to missed classes, I dropped out.
I actually looked for an apprenticeship as a carpenter, since woodworking and working with my hands have always come naturally to me, but no one wanted to—or could—hire a young woman with a high school diploma and a child.
I was already with my husband at the time, and he offered two “solutions” since I didn’t want to go back to college. I could have trained as a legal assistant at his law firm, or we could ask his father if I could train as a tax clerk with him—with the goal of eventually taking over the bookkeeping at the law firm.
Well, that’s how I ended up training as a tax clerk—and, strangely enough, I actually enjoyed it… even though I’d never had anything to do with numbers, money, and the like.
I was always able to let my creativity run wild on the side and embroidered wonderful cross-stitch pictures; and when my younger one was at potty-training age, I started sewing… and then I went into business for myself part-time doing that. Somehow, I got hooked on crocheting, and my crochet projects were quite a success… I wrote my first pattern…
And so today, I’m a mom, an accountant, and a self-employed business owner… and happy with every aspect of it :)

I find it interesting and exciting to peek a little into your lives. We may know your author names and your creative works - but we don’t know the person behind them. Through your posts, you become easier to picture. Everyone has their own life story - with wishes, realities, detours, and accepting what is. Some go through life more quietly, others more boldly.

@Ottertaler_Haekel alias Sabine
You enchant people with your love for children. It probably suits you to have many children and always be doing something connected with children. Not everyone would have wanted that challenge. But the children enrich your life and also inspire you with new creative ideas. Everything should be this way. And your idea at age 5 that you would one day have 8 children also came true. Who would have thought it?

@schnatter-design alias Gabi
To me, your career path sounds as if it was quite exhausting at times. Moving from East to West, a complete fresh start - that certainly took a lot of courage and strength. I also know what it was like working for a temp agency in the post-reunification years - no picnic, you never really belong anywhere and are always the new one. That makes it all the more important that you found lasting joy and an anchor in your handicrafts. That joy is always there and will never run dry.

@Bastelfan
I once wanted to become a porcelain painter too. But then we went on a school trip to the Meissen porcelain manufactory, and they told us that Ms. X spent the whole day painting the same green leaf over and over at piece rates. And Ms. X spent the whole day painting the same rosebud. It went on like that for weeks. No, I didn’t want that after all.
Also, I can see a few more parallels. I also trained in writing/typing techniques, yes, including shorthand, and later also did the “secretarial course” at the adult education center. That really is a lovely profession. It also helps us today when we write our patterns. Others first have to learn a lot of what we can already do. No, your life has not been boring so far. And it probably won’t be from here on either, because if you’re open to new things, you make the best of everything.

@Zwergnasebaer
Your life story sounds very complete to me - as if everything had to happen exactly this way so that today you could feel completely happy and content. Tax assistant, bookkeeping, self-employed, happy with children, family, and hobby - a beautiful, colorful life story with lots of potential for the future. Your children surely inspire you with many new ideas. We can look forward to new creations.

Thank you for giving us an insight into your very personal life - behind the crafts.
Warm regards from Ina

As a child, I always wanted to be a dancer. Whenever I was at Grandma’s, I always had to dance for her.
Then, at some point, the end of school was in sight, and I had to choose something “serious.” I wanted to become a foreign language correspondent for English and French. I was accepted by the school in Hamburg. Then came the big disappointment: students from Hamburg had also applied, and as someone from Lower Saxony, I was out of the running. Even the accommodation and everything had already been arranged. I was supposed to stay during the week with my dad’s boss and his wife (a super-nice older couple) and go home on the weekends.
I was a bit undecided after that. Then the career counselor came to school. Amazing what a guy like that thinks he knows about a teenage girl. Well, he recommended office clerk, and my parents thought that was a great idea.
I quit my first apprenticeship during the probationary period. The boss was quite fond of alcohol, and basically, I was always the one who messed everything up—and I was even blamed for the money missing from the cash register (which the boss’s wife had taken out without a receipt).
It’s a good thing I quit, because the company went under anyway.
I then continued my training in the office of the head of the KZ guild. I wasn’t happy there either.

About six months before the end of my apprenticeship, I got married and soon became pregnant. The contract expired on July 31, but the final exams weren’t until the fall. It took a lot of effort to get an exam date. At the Chamber of Crafts, the opinion of the men was, “She’s married and pregnant—why bother with the final exam?” But I stood my ground and earned my qualification.

For many years after that, I was a “little housewife,” taking care of our two children and helping build our house. Through the construction project, my husband had come into contact with a heating contractor for heat pumps.
As a master electrician, he was able to build control panels and commission the heating system on the side. Eventually, there were quite a few control panels, so I was “trained” and then worked away building them too. That was really fun. I eventually got into it and started drawing up the technical plans for the systems.

Then came the divorce, the second marriage, the third child, the second divorce, and a trip to the social services office. Through a reintegration program, I got in touch with the tourist information office in a North Sea resort town. I was able to do a few internships there and eventually got a job.
Looking after guests—that was great. That was my world, and if I’d had different conditions and different coworkers, I’d probably still be there.

Now, at sixty, I’m back where I was as a child: dancing. I’m in a senior dance group and am trying my hand at training to become a dance instructor. Then I’m supposed to take over the group.

Somehow, the dream job didn’t quite work out, but needlework (especially crocheting) has been with me all those years, through all the ups and downs.

Best regards, Marlies.

I think it’s great that things sometimes get this personal here and that we learn a bit about our fellow members. You hear so many different life stories and sometimes think, “Wow, I know that too.” Thank you.

@dievomdeich aka Marlies
Thank you so much, dear Marlies, for telling us about yourself. Your 60 years have been full of ups and downs. At the start of your working life, you have many dreams, and then life takes its own path, which you have to navigate. You make your own decisions, and sometimes others make them for you. You fight and win, you fight and lose—and somehow, life just keeps going.

I’m glad that, in your case, things have come full circle in that you’ve returned to dancing. Back then, you wanted to do it; now you get to do it—it doesn’t matter whether you’re young or a bit older. What matters is that you enjoy it!
And what also touched me is that you wrote that needlework has remained a constant in your life and has been with you through the ups and downs. I feel the same way. That sentence gave me goosebumps right away. I wish you continued joy in all the wonderful things you do for yourself!

My dream job was—and still is—a puppeteer.

I find it fascinating how puppets can transport children and even adults into another world (even when the puppets are visible). As a child, I loved the Augsburger Puppenkiste; today it’s Sascha Grammel, and my favorite puppeteer is Mathias Kuchta from the Lille Kartofler puppet theater—I can really recommend him to everyone!!!!!!!

I ended up becoming a preschool teacher, and that was also very fulfilling for me—working with children means staying young and laughing or getting a smile every day (even if it was sometimes very exhausting).

Unfortunately, I then became very ill and was declared unfit for work; when I finally got back on my feet, I retrained as an office communications specialist at the age of 53. (That was a very challenging, interesting, and fun time. (Some of my classmates at vocational school were as young as 17 ☺)
Despite getting great grades, I never actually worked in that field—well, at that age and without much professional experience.

Then I rediscovered my creative side, and I love making things with my hands again; I’m still just as passionate about puppet theater as ever.

Best regards, Petra

Your stories are all very fascinating. They show how life sometimes plays out and that, in the end, things can turn out differently than you imagine.

As a child, I never really had those typical “girl’s dreams”… I never wanted to be a veterinarian or anything like that… As a child, I was more of a tomboy…
My first career aspiration was to be a superhero (I was very young back then ;-)), and in elementary school I wanted to be a news anchor or an inventor. My teacher at the time inspired me to consider both.

After that, I went through a long phase where I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I loved being young and I loved being a student; I would have loved to stay that way forever....
But there was one thing I always had in mind: elementary school teacher! That idea had somehow been with me since fifth grade; it was always kind of my secret wish...

For some unknown reason, I ended up studying business administration instead.

I actually wanted to go to Canada afterward to work there (for at least 1–2 years), but then some personal issues came up and I didn’t want to go anymore.

  Well, now I’m just continuing to work in the business field.
Even though I still occasionally regret not pursuing my long-term dream (of being an elementary school teacher), I’m very happy with my current job and I want to stay here!
But who knows—I still have 40 years of my career ahead of me, so a lot can still change ;-) 

The first specific career wish I can remember is that I absolutely wanted to become a doctor someday (I was about 10 years old and a huge Dr. Quinn fan). But then I found the school subjects biology, chemistry, and Latin so exhausting and boring that it probably wasn't the right choice for me.

So I decided, if not a doctor, then maybe a pilot? .... But unfortunately, with my glasses I didn't have a chance :-(

All right, then I'll just run an amusement park and design roller coasters ;-) ... so at university I chose tourism management as my field of study ;-) (anyone can do plain business administration!) 
We did learn all kinds of things there, but unfortunately none of it had anything to do with amusement parks (and certainly not with roller coasters). :-(

During my 2 semesters abroad in England, I then got to know something that I haven't found here in Germany in the same way:
Namely, there were dance clubs for "Modern Jive" or "Ceroc" there - every evening of the week in a different town.
You could just go to these clubs (even without a dance partner!) and learn a very simple kind of dancing in a completely relaxed way - it was less about the feet and more about the arms and the movement overall. It was so much fun that after only a short time I could do great moves. 
In the first hour, there was always a bit of "instruction" first, where you learned new steps. The men all stood side by side in a row (usually 3-4 rows in the whole hall), and the women would then move on "one man further" every few minutes .... that was great! Because that way you got to know lots of nice people (it wasn't about flirting, just about dancing).
And besides, you could dance with many different dance partners - since everyone had their own style, you learned much faster how to adapt to someone and became more confident.
And afterward, after the lesson, there were always about another 2 hours of "freestyle" dancing - here it worked so that you (both as a woman and as a man) could ask any dance partner you liked to dance to each new song, regardless of whether that person had come with a partner or not. And it was considered good manners not to turn down an invitation. (And also not to get jealous if basically "strangers" danced with your own partner!) 
That was really fantastic! - Because that way I met so many nice people in a short time. And with my accent, I was always a "colorful character" anyway, and everyone knew me :-D

As you can probably imagine, after I returned to Germany I really wanted to start a club like that here too. ..... After a little research, however, the plan failed because I didn't believe I could convince German dance couples of this concept (the structures of German dance schools have been firmly established for too long for that).
So no dance club! :-(


..... And now I'm sitting in a management consultancy and advising banks on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing .... or on implementing the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation ;-) 
It's solid, sure, but exciting? ;-) ..... Well, luckily I still have my little creative corner here! So I'll just let off steam here instead :-D

Hi everyone,

as a child I always wanted to be an architect. I loved drawing houses most of all. In 6th grade, I started learning to play the piano and wanted to become a pianist. I had the dream of making money as an author when I was 16. I even wrote little stories, but they were just for my own eyes. Well, I started out as a legal assistant, which was absolutely not for me...

Eventually, I trained as a business assistant in information processing (an office clerk who can set up a computer to suit her own needs). Then I worked in offices at various companies. Unfortunately, no one recognized what I was capable of, and my tasks were those of an intern. Very demoralizing, I tell you.

When my three kids came along in quick succession (the oldest was almost 4 when the youngest was born), having a job was out of the question for a while. That is, until I had a high-risk pregnancy and found solace in crocheting. My middle child wanted a tractor to cuddle. And just like that, my passion was born. A little research, and yes, I now have my dream job.

My training has really paid off. My high school diploma in economics (accounting, law, etc.) and my computer skills—like programming, design, and project management—are really paying off now. And my dream of becoming an author is finally coming true. Maybe someday I’ll even have the courage to write a real novel... So far, it’s just e-books about crocheting.

And I even get to teach a crafts class at the elementary school. What more could you want?

Love, Kathrin

Well, my career path sounds wild and all over the place, but things just somehow worked out that way, and one thing still built on the next.

What a lovely thread—thank you so much, Ina. And a big thank you to everyone who’s introducing themselves here. It’s wonderful to get to know the people behind the crochet and knitting projects.

Like probably most people here, I had a lot of fun as a child doing all kinds of crafts and needlework. My parents were very supportive of my brother and me in this, so we never ran out of materials. I made pom-pom animals, Waldorf dolls, a Fimo zoo… We were also allowed to use my father’s workshop in the basement, which led to bruised thumbs (from the hammer), holes in our skin and clothes (from nails, screws, and screwdrivers), completely ruined clothes (from wood glue, rubbing alcohol, varnish, and paint)—and the realization that I was probably meant to do something “along those lines.”

Before that, however, my career aspirations included becoming a kindergarten teacher, an astronaut, Zorro, and a spy. Well, Zorro—I’d still love that as a career today ;-)

I then studied graphic design with the firm goal of illustrating children’s books, but quickly realized that there were others in this field who were more talented than I was. Photography captivated me, but I just wasn’t bold enough for travel photography. So I took the classic path of most graphic designers: into advertising. After eight years in the advertising department of a magazine publisher, I quit for one of the greatest adventures of my life: My husband and I went on a two-year trip to China, Southeast Asia, India, and Nepal.

Back in Germany, I worked as a creative director at a medium-sized advertising agency—only to quit again after a few years, because my husband and I wanted to hit the road once more, back to Asia. This time, we spent about a year “on the road,” then found an apartment in Penang (Malaysia) and each wrote our first novel.

It was an experiment that turned out really well: We both found major publishers. I then wrote three more novels, which were also published, followed by two knitting books and a craft book. Although I’d never thought of becoming a writer, this was the best work I’ve ever done. The books did reasonably well, but unfortunately, it’s extremely difficult to make a living from writing. With a heavy heart, I had to give up writing and return to advertising. I’ve been doing that ever since, as a freelancer. On top of that, there’s knitting, which has since developed into a stable source of income. And little by little, the desire to write another novel is growing stronger. So things remain exciting in my professional life ;-)

And the bottom line, regarding the original question: I didn’t become Zorro. But creativity runs like a common thread through my (professional) life. I hope it stays that way and that I can continue to earn at least part of my living through my own projects.

Well, what can I say: A picture is worth a thousand words.....

I think this was a self-portrait from 5th grade, so I instinctively knew quite clearly where I was headed. With a family history shaped by my two grandmothers—one a seamstress, the other a knitter—working with textiles has run through my life like a common thread ever since childhood.
Professionally, I first went into tailoring and later into textile design. That really was my dream job—designing patterns, drawing, painting, colouring…—but the decline of the textile industry didn’t spare even the big companies; jobs were being cut, and on a massive scale. Although it hadn’t affected me yet, I thought to myself: better to make a move and try something new. I studied to become a teacher of art and textile crafts and then realized: this isn’t for me. So really, my only option left was to take the leap into self-employment (or cleaning—but I’m absolutely hopeless at that). I did window displays and eventually started writing knitting patterns for a publisher. Eventually, I missed creative work too much. So I started trying my hand at designing my own pieces and, at the same time, began working in textile art. My only real problem now is that I’m simply interested in too many different things, and sometimes I spread myself too thin, which often gets in my own way. But I couldn’t give up any of my activities, so I just have to find a way to balance all these different areas somehow! I love my job because I finally feel like I’ve found my calling—even if I sometimes get terribly frustrated by the sheer amount of work that often just doesn’t pay off. But whatever—I love what I do, and if I can make people happy with my work, that’s priceless!"}

Thank you so much, Ina, for your kind words.

Yes, it’s really nice to get to know you better. You’ll never just be a name to me again.

@stjerne61
It’s wonderful that you’ve stayed true to puppetry—your quiet passion over so many decades. You certainly wouldn’t want to have missed the time you spent with the children as a preschool teacher, even though it certainly wasn’t always easy. And when a serious illness—one that even leads to an inability to work—throws us off course, we’re forced to explore new paths. We have to reorient ourselves and make the best of it. But despite all the ups and downs in life, creativity, crafts, and puppetry have remained constants for you. You need anchors like that in life.

@KreaTina
You’re still very young (at least from my perspective) if you have 40 more years of your career ahead of you. Maybe your dream—to be an elementary school teacher—will still come true later, even if it takes a detour. Or maybe other things will become more important, and the idea of being an elementary school teacher will gradually fade. Life has many surprises in store—as you can see from the many different life paths shared here in this thread. But if you’re happy in your current job right now, then everything is fine and can stay that way.

@AramisvonK
Two-thirds of your post was spent raving about the English dance clubs. They really impressed you—the atmosphere, the laid-back vibe, the dancing, connecting with people—you loved all of that. But how can you bring that from England to Germany? It would certainly take a lot of enthusiasm and the right partners for the idea. But the dream isn’t over yet. Maybe you’ll start something along those lines later in your free time. Anything is still possible. Until then, you’ll be working on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing—which is important, of course. And since that’s pretty dry work, it’s good that you do creative things in your free time. In the meantime, you can let your creativity run wild here.

@knotenzeugbykara aka Kathrin
Your resume starts off a bit boring… first big dreams like becoming an architect, pianist, and author, and then ending up in the down-to-earth office world. I don’t mean that in a negative way—I work in an office too. But then! Thanks to circumstances, chance, and your middle child’s wish, you discovered crocheting for yourself. And just like that, nothing was in vain—everything had a purpose. Much of what you’ve learned along the way is benefiting you today. That’s great! You’ll manage to write your own novel, too!

Warm regards from Ina

Hi everyone,
I just read all your stories and am really moved by the different paths you’ve taken. It’s good to see that very few career paths were—or are—clear and straightforward. That’s true for me, too. I was born into a family of civil servants with an overbearing and very, very strict father (a teacher) who wouldn’t tolerate any independent opinions or dissent. Luckily, I had an aunt who taught me how to crochet, knit, and embroider very early on—even before I started school. She supplied me with yarn and various craft kits (many thanks to my dear Aunt Lore!). I would have loved to do something creative—become a goldsmith, a needlework teacher, or pursue something involving drawing, design, or fashion. But as I mentioned, there was absolutely no room for that, let alone any support. So, after finishing school, I also embarked on a career as a civil servant. After five years of unhappiness and stomach ulcers, I quit my secure job and went back to school to earn my entrance qualification for a university of applied sciences (by then I had moved out of my parents’ house). After that, I studied business administration (for the sake of reason). During my studies, I drew a lot and started taking goldsmithing classes. Before long, I was selling my jewelry to my fellow students. After graduation, I was unhappy in my job again; I couldn’t really get a foothold because I wasn’t fully committed to it. Then I retrained as a media designer and subsequently worked freelance for several agencies as a web designer—finally something creative. The job was okay—it was really fun at times—but I was stuck at the computer and in meetings from morning till night. I stopped working before the birth of my second child. Four years later, I had an idea one night: why not write a craft book on a specific topic? I made a few projects, photographed them nicely, and sent the photos to two publishers. One of them said yes. I’ve written over 20 books since then—three-quarters of them on jewelry design. There’s that jewelry again! Writing books is fun, but it definitely has its downsides too, and sometimes it’s a looooot of work for veeeery little money. Since I’m a single mom with two kids, the unpredictable income is just a pain. Here on CP, I love being able to quickly bring an idea to life and see how it’s received. When writing books, it usually takes a year from the initial idea to the finished book—and whether people like it or if there’s even still a demand for it is just a risk you have to take. I’ve only been here for two months, but I’m having a blast, and I’m actually making a little something out of it, too! And somehow, creativity always finds a way—it’s so great, and I’m really grateful that there are so many opportunities today to work creatively. I’m excited to see how everything develops...

Dear Ina, thanks to your suggestion, we get to enjoy wonderful, very interesting life stories and get to know the authors a little better—thank you so, so much for the idea!
As a child, I knew exactly what I wanted to be: a baker! I’d even found the perfect spot for my shop… By the time I finished school, I was undecided for a long time: doctor, youth lawyer, bookseller… Well, in the end, I became what I’d initially rejected for myself: a teacher, like so many of my relatives! It gave me great joy to try to teach students between the ages of 11 and 16 some language skills (with varying degrees of success!), and later I added courses for adults.
By the way: I still love to bake!

Warm regards, Christina

@roticanai Alisa Steffi,
I’m glad you like the thread and that you’re thanking me for it.

I think we’re all blown away by your life story. Studying graphic design with forays into photography and advertising. A two-year journey around the world through China, Southeast Asia, India, Nepal... and living in Malaysia. Who gets to do that? Then you’ve written several novels and also craft books. You have an enormous amount of creative energy. I just Googled you and I’m really impressed.

Now you’re self-employed, doing advertising, dreaming of a new novel you want to write, and hoping your crafts continue to develop so well. Anyone who’s already fulfilled so many of their life’s dreams will surely achieve the others that are still waiting for them.

@fil-art-aue
I see a very strong common thread running through your life: textile and creative work really run in your family. The fact that you sometimes get a bit sidetracked because of your many interests and ideas sounds familiar to me. Maybe it will take some time before one of your creative talents comes to the forefront enough that you’d be willing to (slightly) neglect the others for it. You love your profession in all its facets and have found your calling in it—who can say that about themselves? You love what you do—it makes you happy and brings joy to others. That’s really wonderful!

Warm regards from Ina

Dear Ina, oh, it’s not quite that flashy after all—it’s all only possible because we don’t have kids. When just two adults have to keep their heads above water, things always work out somehow. I’ve quit a really good job three times in my life, and that has led to some lean times here and there. But I don’t regret it. In any case, I admire Sabine (Häkelmaus :-)) Eight kids—oh, kids in general—that’s not just an adventure, it’s absolutely fantastic. I tip my hat to all mothers!

Dear Ina, you really had a great idea with this topic—thank you!

I’d like to add something to my post:
Today we performed at the summer festival (in the pouring rain) at the senior living facility where our founder now lives. She’s 97 years old today and came up with the idea to start our dance group 30 years ago.
She now has dementia, but fortunately it’s not too severe yet. The dance group is still very close to her heart. We were able to surprise her with the performance today, and she was given a seat of honor.
You can’t imagine what a wonderful feeling it was to see the sparkle in this elderly lady’s eyes and to witness her joy. That’s when you know you’re doing the right thing.

Best regards, Marlies

A lovely chat question, Ina.
It makes our group very personal and interesting.

@Elke: I just googled it: your books were published by Topp-Verlag—congratulations! It's amazing what talents are here.


Well, who would have thought that I would ever join in chats like this!

For me, it was already clear in third grade:
I wanted to become neither a pastor, nor a doctor or pharmacist. That meant I would not learn Latin—a dead language that no people speak—and therefore I would not study at university either—period! Our class teacher was a Latin fanatic; back then we had to memorize Latin prayers and songs. And woe betide you if you made a mistake!
Besides, I was convinced that people in high school were getting “brainwashed,” because among our acquaintances the “educated folks” analyzed everything for hours before they, if at all, actually got anything practical done. So I wanted something practical:

Up to 5th grade, I was determined to become a hairdresser . I’ve been cutting my own hair for a few years now, since my shop hours overlap with the usual hair salon opening hours. I hardly ever wear my hair down, so the lack of training isn’t immediately visible ;-)

Later I had a phase where I wanted to become a photo lab technician , but there was no training place for it in the area.

Since I love wood very much and my father was a trained carpenter , that profession would have interested me too, but in the end it wasn’t an option because I lacked the strength in my hands and arms. The risk of injury wasn’t to be underestimated either.

Then I wanted to become a window dresser, but instead I got an apprenticeship as a tax assistant because an office job also interested me. But taxes, bookkeeping, etc. simply were not, and still are not, my thing at all. In the end, I was glad to have gotten an apprenticeship at all (baby-boom year). Today I can make good use of the basic knowledge from back then. And I can decorate my shop windows however I like anyway—even without training ;-)

After my apprenticeship, I switched to secretarial work as quickly as possible. As a child, I had loved my desk and my “office organization” at the time.
When I then lost my jobs several times in a row due to globalization/site closures and finally the economic crisis, and finding an adequate new position proved very difficult, my body developed migraines—for me, a signal to change something.

Around that time I became “addicted to wool.” I learned sock knitting from my then 85-year-old auntie—which later led to my sock-knitting course. I have this aunt to thank for the fact that I discovered knitting as relaxation and finally turned this hobby into my profession .

Process descriptions —I had always gotten an A in those at school. Since I had started writing short patterns for my shop customers to go with my display pieces, it eventually occurred to me to make them a bit more detailed, so that even customers who didn’t know what to do with the usual pattern booklets could understand them. One day, in March 2015, I started here at CP. Good thing there weren’t so many celebrity pros around back then, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have dared.

Who knows what else is still to come.. Isn’t life exciting?!

Best regards
Traudelina

Dear Ina, what a great thread! Thanks for the idea and your lovely comments! It’s so interesting to learn a little about each of the authors here! And the sheer power of creativity really jumps out at the reader—not just in what we create with crochet hooks or knitting needles, but above all in our creative approach to life itself: daring to try new things, trying things out for ourselves, finding our own path... Simply AWESOME!!

The kinds of stories you read here… Amazing! Thanks, Ina!

As a child, I wanted to be a preschool teacher—mainly because it was the only job I knew of where you could do crafts, play with clay, tinker, paint, and play outside. Later on, I wanted to be so many different things—depending on which movie was in theaters at the time, which TV show I’d watched, or which book I’d read. I continued to pursue all my creative hobbies, but I had no idea what kind of career I could build around them.

During puberty, I mainly just wanted to be left alone—without any career aspirations :-). That’s when my mother convinced me to train to become a teacher of visual arts and technical drawing: This program was offered at a specialized high school in my city; I liked both subjects in school… it seemed like a good fit.

The training was great, and I learned a lot: calligraphy, woodcarving, silk painting, macramé, creating ornaments and borders, mosaics, folk art… Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of more if I give it some time. When I started having to give trial lessons at schools more and more often, I realized right away that it wasn’t really my thing, but I finished the training and became a comprehensive school teacher in 1987.

Everyday school life was even worse than I’d imagined. My pregnancy saved me, and after a year at school, I was free.
During my three-year parental leave, I provided for our needs and made a living by sewing and knitting. That was my first taste of self-employment, and I felt comfortable with it.

In December 1991, I arrived in Germany with my daughter.
My first job here was as a kitchen assistant in a nursing home—with virtually no knowledge of German, anything else simply wasn’t an option.

After two years, I began training to become a desktop publishing specialist and then—like so many here—ended up at an advertising agency. The work was great, but the hours were unpredictable and the pay—or rather, when it was paid—was very irregular; as a single mother, I needed a bit more stability. So I switched to a lithography shop, but was laid off after a year.

That led to my first official stint as a self-employed person: I designed prints, visited companies and trade shows to sell them, found the whole thing terribly stressful, and gave up after nine months.

That’s how I ended up as a recreation instructor at an all-day school, which gave me the opportunity to become something like a preschool teacher. I could now share all my hobbies with the children, and it was great—for four years. During that time, the idea had already crossed my mind to pitch some of my ideas to publishers, and when a new principal arrived in my fifth year and I had to leave the school due to insurmountable differences, I already knew what was coming next.

A publisher liked my greeting cards; a book was published, then a second one featuring gift wrapping, then another and another… That was a very turbulent and happy time, but even then I soon reached the limits of what was possible and was no longer satisfied.

After a somewhat unsuccessful attempt with my own online shop, I stumbled upon CP in 2015 and now believe I’ve found my dream job and workplace.

Best regards, Inna

Inna, German isn’t your native language? I. Am. Blown away.

So many great life stories...... really cool to read them...........

painting—I did that too.... even commissioned painting...... Once, when I was just 20, I spent a week in Berlin painting a huge Catwoman on a 2.10 x 3m wall for a client. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of it anymore :(

But after a year of commissioned painting, I didn’t want to do it anymore—it’s awful when you’re under time pressure to paint something you just don’t feel like doing at the moment.......

If you'd like to take a look: https://goo.gl/photos/pkAVs1JDgxa2Trfs9

Hello, dear friends, I’m so happy about your very personal stories from your lives.

@elke-eder
After reading your post, I don’t think anyone would have wanted to be born into your strict civil-servant family. It surely had its good sides too, but what you yourself wanted as a person probably wasn’t really up for discussion. So everything had to turn out the way it did. You fulfilled your parents’ expectations, but it just wasn’t yours. Not what makes you happy. The jewelry, the jewelry design, the creative side—that is yours. But that path first had to develop. And it took courage and luck, too. 20 books published, 3/4 of them about jewelry design. That’s a wonderful achievement, and there is still so much potential. The next time I’m in a bookstore, I’ll take a look at them. What do your parents say about your success today?

@ChristinaE
I think being a baker is wonderful. I love cake. And you even already had a place for your bakery—those were already very concrete dreams. But then things turned out differently after all. But when you write that you enjoyed teaching, then that is surely the best second possible option. And you still enjoy baking, so you’ve kept that. Who knows what would have become of your bakery today—it’s not so easy to be successful with that nowadays. 

@dievomdeich alias Marlies
Thank you very much for adding this lovely incident for us. Now that we all know that dancing is very close to your heart. I can picture the scene at the rainy summer festival. The old lady in her place of honor and her life’s work (after all, 30 years of her life are in it) in action in front of her. I can well believe that she had tears of emotion in her eyes. And you felt the same way. Sometimes it takes these special moments that you remember forever. It is right that you are living your dream of dancing now. Someday you’ll be sitting in that place of honor and the others will dance in your honor :-)

@Traudelina
I’m glad you’re taking part in this thread, too. This little exchange feels good, doesn’t it? You get to know the others a little and reveal a little about yourself. And then you realize: the “celebrity pros” weren’t always pros and famous and publishing books either. Some life paths were crooked and uneven, and then the creative gene prevailed. Maybe they also had luck at just the right moment.
But I think you can be very proud of your successes, too. You have your own yarn shop—that’s something many people here wish for. You can spend the whole day with yarn and handicrafts. You advise your customers, teach them to knit socks, and have daily contact “with the grassroots.” You turned your hobby into your profession—that’s wonderful!

@fil-art-aue
You summed that up beautifully. It couldn’t be said better. I’m also very touched by many life stories. It’s always the people behind the patterns that I find exciting. That’s probably why I have my “chat threads.” No one comes into the world fully formed with the ideas and success they have today. Everything develops, sometimes along winding paths. Until you finally feel: this is MINE. This is what I’ve always wanted. This feels right. Everyone else will probably have to keep searching a little longer ....

@Innas_Bastelleien
You write in perfect German—you can’t tell at any point that it isn’t your native language. I’m impressed. To me, your biography is also one that has a lot to it, with many challenges. But the common thread—crafting—runs through your life from the very beginning. You’ve done and tried a lot. But crafting is in your blood; it’s the constant. That’s why you’re so successful with it. What you do with love and passion simply has to bring success sooner or later. And you’ve already written several craft books—who can say that about themselves? That’s really fantastic! Your fresh, colorful craft ideas enrich our range of offerings here on CP.

Warm regards from Ina

@Steffi, no, I had to learn them the hard way :-).

Dear Ina,
it's so lovely how you respond to each post again individually and answer it. Thank you very much for that.

You ask what my parents say about my career path today. I completely cut off contact with my father 30 years ago. My mother doesn't say much about it, but I think she is a little proud (I tend to hear that from my brother; somehow she can't say it herself).

Dear Ina, I also see it that everything somehow had its purpose. At every stage I learned something or took something with me. During my civil service training, when I was 16, I met my best and dearest friend, whom I would not want to miss for anything in the world - that alone made five years in city administration worthwhile. We've been friends for 35 years now.

During my business studies, I met my (ex-)husband and today I have my two wonderful children. Who knows whether I would even have children today without that stage.

During my training as a media designer, I learned a lot of useful things and also met wonderful people. Even today I still benefit from the computer skills that were taught to me back then by really good teachers.

And in all my jobs and side jobs to finance school and my studies, I learned perseverance and trust in my own abilities.

So everything really does somehow always make sense, and my daughter recently read me a saying that I found very fitting: "While you're making plans, fate falls off its chair laughing."

@ Traudelina:
Dear Traudelina, thank you for the congratulations, but I don't feel like a celebrity pro at all. Just because you've written a few books doesn't make you famous, etc. Only very few achieve the big breakthrough. I think it's great that you have a yarn shop and how you came to writing patterns, and your success here on CP is also very impressive.

Warmest regards from Elke

@Roticanai;

with so many children, many people claim that's not admirable but crazy ;-)

Seriously, being a mother has many moments of happiness, unfortunately now and then also some downsides. Just like life is..... most of the time people give me a tired smile, and very often they ask me directly whether I was too stupid to use contraception, etc.

Unfortunately, being a mother the way I have lived it is not always accepted today.
My oldest daughter turned 32 yesterday, and during all that time I have officially worked only 4 years. Sometimes money was tight, but I wanted to be with my children and experience them growing up.

I am probably a red flag for truly emancipated career women ^^^^..... 

When someone asks me today what I do and I say that I design crochet items and write patterns, I get comments like: how do you manage that alongside the children?

Very simple: only half of them are still at home, and of those, 3 are already very independent. At 21, 16, and 15 it's easy, and the little one (5) is proud as punch when he gives me tips and helps out....

@Inna,

your German is better than mine, even though it's my native language.... Hats off ;-)

@Schnuckelina,

that was a really great idea... that way we women get to know each other better.

best wishes, Sabine

@Steffi, @Ina, and @Sabine—thank you so much! I really appreciate
the compliment about my language skills, but I have to admit: without spell-check, it would look very different :-D.

@Elke, I love that quote about fate! Thanks!

@Sabine—I take my hat off to you! You saw it through despite all the odds and were there for your children. I think that’s the best thing a mother can give her children.