By Saria Canady
Christy Fike knew there had to be something more to life. She’d spent years working unfulfilling jobs, including a spell at Starbucks and a stint at a nanny agency, none of which allowed her to fully use her undergraduate degree in communications.
So after getting laid off from her last job in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, Fike decided it was time for a change. She just wasn’t exactly sure what that change might be. One thing was certain: Fike had to talk herself out of “going back to what’s safe and miserable,” she said.
She longed for a life of purpose and passion. But what was her passion? The Texas native, who has always had a knack narrative, never thought of it as her purpose. Friends and family members have often told her she’s a great writer and storyteller, but she’d never considered turning it into a career.
“I just feel like you’ve got something to say,” she recalls her loved ones telling her. “I don’t know that I necessarily believe that about myself,” she said in a recent interview. “I’m riding on their beliefs.”
At her sister’s urging, though, Fike decided to give writing a serious shot. She applied to pursue a master of fine arts degree in SCAD-Atlanta’s budding professional writing program. She expected a rejection letter from SCAD, since she’d never had anything published and had no clips to speak of, other than journal entries, short essays and blogs she’d written in her free time on Facebook and MySpace.
She must have impressed someone. But reluctance, not elation, followed the arrival of Fike’s acceptance letter. She had several concerns about whether returning to school would be the right move.
She was still paying back student loans from her four years at Baylor University, a private school in Waco, Texas. She wasn’t sure she could stomach financing another two years of education. And would a writing career be lucrative enough to make it all worth it?
She had been out of school for 12 years and wasn’t sure she could get back into the swing of things; wasn’t sure she’d fit in with the younger students. She said she feared the loneliness she might encounter on this new journey because writing can be a very lonely process.
“[But] sometimes the biggest step you take is the one you take by yourself,” Fike said.And so she stepped. Fike just completed her first quarter at SCAD, and she still has many concerns. She said she sometimes felt somewhat out of place during her inaugural fall quarter. Fike — a natural red-head — said she felt like the “red-headed stepchild” as an up-and-coming writer in a visual arts school. She has yet to grasp the idea of writing as an art form.
On the other hand, Fike said, being around so many creative minds and beautiful creations is quite inspiring. And she’s glad she chose SCAD-Atlanta to begin her writing journey. “I’m learning a lot about myself.” she said.
Still unsure of precisely what place she’ll take in the writing world, Fike believes she’ll soon find her groove. And with a name seemingly meant for a byline, she just might be well on her way.