Though most boys in the area had little choice but to begin working after confirmation, Prøysen received a stipend that allowed him to continue his education at the Ringsaker Amtskole. Here he wrote essays for the other students, in exchange for fifty ører. Prøysen finished his studies in 1932 and found work as a cook on a nearby farm, drawing and writing in his spare time. When time allowed, he also got involved in amateur theater and local revues.
It wasn't until 1938 that Prøysen published his first poem, featured both in the Kooperatøren and the Arbeidermagasinet. In the following years, he moved to Østlandet, working at various farms in Sørum, Ullensaker, and finally Vøien, where Prøysen began writing novels and songs in earnest. He published Dørstokken Heme in 1945.
While at Vøien, Prøysen became involved with a group of students who put on revues. A song from their first revue after WWII, called Ad Undas, was played on the radio, attracting the attention of Håkon Tveten. Tveten was so impressed by Prøysen's voice that he asked him to record two songs on a record that came out in 1947. After this, Prøysen began recording his own songs, quickly becoming popular on the radio.
He met a woman by the name of Else Storhaug - they married in 1948 and had their daughter, Elin Julie in 1949. The year their son, Alf Ketil, was born they moved into a townhouse, occupying the second floor. It was during this time that Prøysen’s popularity grew steadily - in addition to publishing a song book in 1949, Prøysen also became known by children all over Norway who watched him on the Saturday children’s program on television.
In 1950, Prøysen published his first and only romance about post-war youth who abandoned the farm to seek work in town. Poking fun at the glorification of country life that keeps youth held back in their places, his romance sold 52,000 copies in its first year. It was made into a play in 1952, and finally in 1955 into the film "Trosten."
A similar theme is expressed in his well-known song, "Du skal få en dag i mårå" (You will get a day tommorrow), which chronicles the life of a boy who consistently has his grand dreams dashed by those who tell him no - first his teacher, then his girlfriend, then his wife. The promise he holds out for is that of a day tomorrow, "with blank, unused paper and colored pens" for him to draw his Babylon.
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