Are you looking for a job right now, sending application after application, and still… nothing?

 

 

I’ve Been Jobless for Years, But I Built a Brand Instead

 

 

Months pass. You try again. Still nothing.

I know that feeling too well, because I’m one of those chronically unemployed people.

 

Before you judge me, let me tell you where I come from.

 

 

 

1. A Chinese Millennial in France, Trying to Build a Future

 

I’m a Chinese millennial.

 

I became legally employable in France in August 2023.

 

Before that, I earned a bachelor’s degree in French literature in Hangzhou. I came to France with a dream: become a trilingual translator and interpreter, Chinese, English, French.

 

But reality hit me fast.

 

There were barely any job openings in that field. So I pivoted. I decided to pursue something more commercial, more creative.

 

With almost zero background in art or design, I applied to graphic design schools. Somehow, I got accepted into a French art school.

 

It was brutal.

 

The courses were hard. My French wasn’t strong enough. I had no artistic foundation.

 

I dropped out the first year. But I didn’t give up. I applied again, and got rejected by at least 10 public universities.

 

Finally, a graphic design school in Paris accepted me. I started from the lowest level because I wanted to learn the basics properly, to work alongside French students, to rebuild myself from scratch.

 

And I did it.

I graduated. I got the degree.

And I was naïve enough to think that meant I could finally get a job.

 

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2. The Harsh Reality of the Job Market

 

There weren’t enough jobs that paid decently and were willing to sponsor my residency permit. So I made a decision that would change everything:

I became a freelancer. My own employer.

 

Then Covid hit.

 

The government website for entrepreneur visas was down for a year.

 

I was stuck in France without a valid visa. One of the darkest periods of my life, isolated, anxious, invisible.

 

The only thing I could do was create.

 

So I built my Instagram. I drew every day. I made short videos. I tried to stay alive creatively.

 

I broke up with my French boyfriend. I had no social life. During lockdown, the only way to exist was online.

 

And slowly, I started believing in online business. I saw beautiful handmade products on Etsy and Instagram. I felt a spark. So I opened a Shopify store out of curiosity, prints, commissions, my portfolio.

 

I had no idea what I was doing.

But the moment I opened that account, I realized:

 

I am an entrepreneur.

 

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3. Building a Business With No Guidance, No AI, No Help

 

What is an entrepreneur?

How do you run an online business?

How do you write a business plan?

 

I had no idea.

But I had to figure it out, because I needed that business plan to renew my residency permit.

 

So I Googled. I watched YouTube tutorials. I spent months writing that document from scratch.

 

What’s my business model?

How will it work?

How do I prove it’s profitable?

What are my expenses?

 

I answered everything alone. No AI. No ChatGPT. Just me, my laptop, and my fear of losing everything.

 

The administrative process was hell.

 

But eventually, after a year, while attending an MBA remotely, I got my appointment. My business plan was validated.

 

In 2022, I was finally allowed to run my online business in France.

 

I earned that permit the hardest way possible.

Just to bring one project to life:

 

Amarok Creator.

 

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4. The Birth of Amarok Creator

 

And that was only the beginning of the struggles.

 

But that’s why I’m so attached to this brand.

 

I built it from nothing.

 

It’s the result of years of work, sacrifice, and the stubborn dreams of a young Chinese girl who refused to disappear.

 

Amarok Creator is a reflection of my ambition, maybe unrealistic, but deeply human.

 

It represents my belief that you can create your own path, no matter where you come from or what your background is.

 

The fact that this project is still alive today is a miracle.

 

The fact that I’m still alive inside it is another one.

 

People thought I was crazy for starting it.

They thought I was crazier for continuing.

 

Nobody truly understands what Amarok Creator means to me.

 

But everyone can see it matters.

And slowly, they began to respect it.

 

It’s not successful yet, but nobody can stop me anymore.

 

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5. Small Wins That Mean Everything

 

My biggest client so far has been the platform X.

 

I’m grateful my account is part of the creator program, it gave my brand 11 million impressions.

 

For established professionals, that’s nothing.

 

But for Amarok Creator, it’s hope. It’s recognition.

 

And the community I’ve built, through opinions, art, photography, conversations with the world, that’s another victory.

 

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6. I’m Jobless, But I Built a Brand

 

Yes, I’ve been jobless since Covid.

But I built a brand.

A living, breathing project.

 

Amarok Creator is my alter ego.

My personal brand.

My biggest art project.

She is alive.

 

I’m jobless, but I refuse to let this vision die.

I keep this part of me alive at all costs.

 

Because it’s a voice.

A purpose.

A future I’m building with my own hands.

 

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7. If You’re Jobless Too, Remember This

 

Building a brand has a cost.

But if you’re unemployed, your time is your greatest investment.

 

Never let the job market decide your worth.

Never let rejection define your identity.

 

Never let a system tell you that you don’t matter.

 

You can build something of your own.

You can create your own path.

You can be jobless, and still be unstoppable.