Beginners Guide to Designing a Life After an MFA

Okay, you got your MFA. Now what?These sources discuss life after receiving a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree, particularly for writers, highlighting both the aspirational goals and the practical realities of pursuing a creative career. They address the challenges of finding employment, including the difficulty of securing tenure-track teaching positions and the limitations of adjunct and freelance work. Additionally, the texts explore how design thinking principles can be applied to navigating one's personal and professional life, suggesting exercises like energy mapping and envisioning multiple possible futures to help individuals gain self-awareness and make informed decisions in an often unpredictable world. The sources collectively offer advice on managing post-MFA burnout, establishing new routines, submitting work, finding a supportive community, and ultimately, recognizing that an MFA is a starting point rather than a predetermined destiny.Sources:After the MFA: Fantasy, Reality, and Lessons Learned - Poets & WritersExploring Master of Fine Arts Jobs: A Comprehensive Guide to MFA Career OpportunitiesHow can design thinking help you?In Class Career Discernment - Designing Your LifeLearning to Love the Loneliness of Writing After My MFA - Literary HubLife After the MFA - The Authors GuildThose who have gotten an MFA in Writing, was it worth it? - RedditWorksheets and Discussion Questions - Designing Your Life