Is female breadwinner burnout a real problem? It was in my life.

Women are far more likely to be the primary earner in their families now than ever.  In 1960 the number of female heads of household was 11%.  That rose to  41% in 2012, and 49% in 2018. (Source: CNBC)

  • 2009 was the first year on record that women held more jobs than men – after the crash of 2008 and the “mancession” that followed.
  • Women are outpacing men in college degrees and graduate degrees.
  • Single mother HHs have increased from one in ten families  to one in five families today (and significantly higher in Latina and African American families)

I was once the primary earner in our household (and hope to be again).  But I wasn’t feeling very happy.  In fact, I felt guilty that I wasn’t happy despite incredible flexibility, good pay rate, and challenging, somewhat creative work.  It seemed like I had a lot of nerve to want something more. And it certainly didn’t feel like I had permission to risk what I had to get what I wanted.

The truth is I did want more.  I wanted out of the corporate marketing arena.  I wanted my creativity to express my viewpoint, rather than the viewpoint of the brand I happened to be working for.

In the end, 9/11 took away much of that earning power and work.  TADA.  I was suddenly free – exactly what I secretly wished for.  So, what next?   I began to wonder how I’d bestow my creativity (of course I wrote two books and went back to school) and how I’d spend my days.  The question that had become important to me, was…

Who do you want to be a hero to?

I want to be a hero to creative people – helping them understand their creativity and achieve their goals with their work.  That’s why I’m very excited to open Decoding Creativity.com and offer you the benefit of my suffering and soul searching.  Now I’m no longer a Female Primary Earner, nor am I marketing consultant and strategist to America’s biggest brands, but I’m a hero to myself and other creative people.  I’m a creative process expert and coach.  A super hero to the most important people on Earth – the people who are willing to step up and create.  (We’re going to save the world.) Come find us in the free fabulous FB group: Write Without the Fight.