Hi Diane,
I’m glad you’re taking the PPSC at a pace that feels good for you and allows this content to really sink in.
As you heard us mention in the PPSC content, it’s SO normal to feel this kind of push-pull inner conflict when you have a combination of 2 Profiles (I have this same challenge myself!). From your question, it sounds to me like you already have a pretty good idea of what you want, at least for the next stage of your career. And I want to really acknowledge you for dipping your toe into the world of teaching by trying that intro class to see if you would like it — and it seems like it could be a good fit for your Tribe Member values and personal interests! So this boils down to finding the right balance so that you can have the daily Tribe Member-type job, while also pursuing your creative writing (to satisfy your creativity and your Side Hustler desire for variety).
My first recommendation for you is to read the book Big Magic by Liz Gilbert — I think you are going to LOVE her approach to creativity. One of the things she talks about is treating your art like a “love affair” (I love this concept so much!). She recommends sneaking away for stolen moments with your art, and secretly spending a lunch break on a “date” with your creativity. Cancel all of your weekend plans and stay in with your creative writing, like you would with a secret lover. It not only gets you to carve out time for your art, but it re-invigorates your passion, too.
Also, I want you to start recognizing just how much time/energy you need to devote to your creative writing side projects in order for you to feel balanced and fulfilled. The way you can tell when you’re getting out of balance is you’ll start to feel resentful of any/all things that are “stealing” your time away from your art. That resentment is simply an indicator that you’re out of balance and your “Side Hustler” values are not getting enough attention, and you can re-prioritize. Once you determine just how much creative time you need in order to avoid that resentment, you’ll be able to create a sustainable structure for yourself to balance your job and your hobbies.
I think you’re already on the right track, and now it’s just a matter of fine-tuning the balance of both of these things. You can definitely make this combination work!