My name is Bethany. I am a college art student in Chico, CA, major in Studio Arts. Traditional art (painting, sketching, sculpting, etc. etc.) is my real passion, yet I'd rather not have to depend on it as my living since traditional art is one of the toughest careers out there as far as making money goes. I also don't want to go digital, as I do not enjoy that very much and feel it is unauthentic. I also don't want my creativity stifled by having an art boss telling me what I have to create. I also don't want people expecting things of my art. Generally speaking, I don't want a boss at all in any field. I want financial freedom and be able to have the time to do what I want in art, while still being able to support myself. For these reasons I want to become a scaling buy-and-hold real estate investor and accumulate passive income, giving me time, freedom, and money to support my own art business, rather than having to work at a studio or under an art director. I connect with my art and I do not want it defiled through art employment. For me, and from what I've heard on the podcasts and from investors, real estate INVESTING seems to be the best, most fulfilling option towards independence, freedom, self-preservation, and self-actualization.
With introduction aside, the main question I have right now actually has to do with a college "real estate" class I decided to jump on and take. I saw the words "real" and "estate" and couldn't resist the "opportunity". In my first week I discovered that 99% of the class is there to become a real estate agent, and it has little if anything to do with the general field of real estate, and is meant for the requirements of the California real estate licensing exam, which I did not intend to or have any desire to take. Am I in the wrong place? Being an agent sounds like such a drag. I took this same class in high school in a home study setting, and I remember hating it. I still don't like it very much and I'd rather be on the (much more practical and digestible) Bigger Pockets website, listening to podcasts, or drawing a picture. However, would it be a necessary or useful evil if I want to become a better investor? Would taking this class be at least helpful? would it give me an edge? Would becoming an agent be a good transitory step for a total newbie? Are there much better, less begrudging paths I could take? I am inclined to drop the class, but before making yet another rash decision, I'd like to get some outside opinion.
Two key things about me is if I can't do what I want and can't be creative/expressive, I am not happy. I think many people could say the same.
