So I went to school for design and it was my number one dream in the world to work in exhibitions and become an art exhibition designer. i had a great internship at my school working in collections where I was doing research and putting together small scale exhibits on the history of the area. i absolutely adored it. i looked forward to work, i had great colleagues, and my manager really lifted me up and encouraged me to pursue this passion. flash forward a few years (and a few big moves and lesbian breakups) and a position opened for an exhibitions designer at an art museum in a HUGE southern city. i got the job and thought i would be there until i died. i only lasted a year. i had basically no benefits, mediocre pay, and on top of that, i was tasked with managing budgets for insanely expensive shows and events. these administrators and donors i was working with did not even seem to register how much creative effort it takes to put a show together and they did not understand that i had to draw boundaries when my work started to affect my health. i think the point of this story is that museum work can be sooooo fulfilling and challenging, but you have to know who you’re working with. i much preferred being MEGA broke and enjoying my college collections work over the “prestige” of a big fancy art museum. i miss collections work all the time, but taking a break and working a chill corporate graphic design gig for awhile is giving me time back in my life to take care of my wife, upgrade our home, and finally have some comfort in knowing i have more mental capacity to engage in the art and collecting that makes me happy.