My friends are so talented! I’m so lucky to live in New York City and be surrounded by amazing artists. I’ve really loved being able to meet people exploring film, theater, comedy, dance! It adds so much color to my boring job as a very highly paid consultant. I wish all my friends the best, and I really do hope they’re able to turn their passions into paying careers. It’s just so difficult, of course, with the economy being what it is. I just wish there were a way for artists to make more money! It’s really too bad we don’t support them more financially. These are all things I think about when I’m watching Netflix on my parents’ account.

I have a friend who has been writing music since college, and the other day, she told me she was giving up and going to get her degree in dental hygiene. “NOOOO,” I wailed at her, “Don’t be one of the quitters! Keep following your passion, I know that if you love music enough, it’ll work out for you!” But she shook her head no and walked away slowly. I was so heartbroken. I opened up my freemium Spotify account and listened to very sad music all the way home.

Those of us with boring jobs almost depend on the artists to teach us that we can still dream. How can I sit at a desk all day without knowing that somewhere out there, one of my friends is very, very poor, and is getting paid in beer to jokes to an audience of 4 people? The only comfort I have in my cushy, luxurious consultant life is knowing that some of us make it. Some of us do what we really want to do. Some of us break free, and dream. And I’m just happy to be the friend in the background offering support but JESUS KAREN YOU WANT ME TO BUY TWO DRINKS AT YOUR COMEDY SHOW?? TWO DRINKS?? I ONLY MAKE $80/HOUR C’MON! $3 FOR A SELTZER?!

Wow, I read a terrifying statistic the other day. Sales made off major blockbusters are down 25% this year. And I thought this is such a great year for movies! I went to see “Lady Bird” with my friend Patricia — oh, Patricia makes movies. She made the most adorable little shorts for her film classes in college — and after the movie, I was like “um Patricia you WILL be Greta Gerwig!” But how can she be Greta Gerwig if the movie industry is in decline? Oh, and when I say we ‘went to see’ it, I mean we illegally torrented it using the very high-speed wifi at my fancy office.

God, I really hope all my creative friends make it. They are so talented and wonderful. I love to surround myself with artists, and I really believe in each and every one of them. Artists bring our world so much joy, and we need to come together to support them if the free market won’t! But no, obviously I’m not going to buy my own Netflix account.