What is your day job? (question for full-time and part-time creatives)
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I am a homeschooling mother of 3 (ages 13, 10, and 3) and I work part-time as a bookkeeper/administrative assistant/stager-of-homes for our family businesses. I wish I could say the breakdown was even 70/30 but it's more like 90/10. I wake up at 5 to get an hour in without "3yo help", listen to podcasts while folding laundry and washing dishes, and put in an hour after all are in bed again. When I have an idea, I write it all in a notebook with captions for each thumbnail because one day I know I'll get there and as long as I inch along, for now, that's ok.
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I am a full-time neuroscientist and I do research in this field in a university. Not exactly a 9-5 job (it takes longer hours) but I like it, it's the only job I ever had. It is difficult however to have time to draw and paint, I mainly do it at night after dinner, not my sharpest hours. I like the balance of both "activities" but I definitely would like more time for art, as science doesn't completely fulfill me. If one day I leave science behind I would like to be a full time artist, we'll see.
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I was a teacher before my kids were born, but now I stay home with them full time. Now that the last kiddo is getting bigger, I’m thinking about what I want to do when he enters kindergarten. I don’t want to go back to teaching, and I’ve always loved art, so I started working through the svs classes in the evening and in my spare time. I’ve sold some art through Etsy, but I’d love to work on children’s books or other publications.
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I am a 5/8ths-time benefits-based adjunct assistant professor at a private university, where I coordinate the costume design and construction for 5 theatrical productions each year, teach multiple classes, and mentor any student costume designers. I've been there for 20 years, but before that I worked as a costume technician in the costume shops at The Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse, and designed a variety of shows in smaller local theatres. (www.coreyjohnstondesigns.com)
I've struggled for years to keep my job "part time", but it's honestly an impossibility and most other people doing my job at other universities across the country are full-time or full-time tenure track. Finally this year, my department had an external reviewer come in and say it was an egregious error that my position wasn't full-time. Ahh! Sweet Validation!! LOL! Who knows if it'll change.
But the good thing about being part-time with benefits means that I supposedly have that ephemeral unicorn of situation: I can supposedly work on my art when I'm not at school, and be able to invest time in developing my illustration skills. Since most illustration gigs are freelance, I can theoretically do both, and augment my income with side-gigs doing something I really love.
And I'm trying to make my day-job conform to what this position is in other non-theatre departments. But it's easier for them. In theatre, the reality isn't that simple. Making theatre demands so much time... The industry expectation is that it's all-consuming in a lot of ways--and that comes from both peers and theatre administrators. Live-able wages are very hard to justify when so many will literally just "do it for the love of it." Martyr complex is a thing--"real profressionals" are "all-theatre-all-the-time" and if you can't measure up to that impossible standard you just don't care enough... So burn out is very real. And I'm still one of the lucky ones--I teach at a school and get a year-round paycheck. Currently, the entire theatre industry has been gutted. I have friends who are in very very dire straights... It's rattling and disheartening. I'm seriously scared for my students' futures.
Believe it or not, illustration actually pays better than theatre. So I keep going, and use my drawing as a sort of mental escape. I know what it's like to collaborate with people on projects--that's literally what theatre-makers do all the time to make productions--so I use my art as a kind of personal, singular expression that can be more about me and my own likes/dislikes/preferences. I know that's not the reality of the illustration industry at all, but I'm still in that "this is for me" stage. And I still have a long way to go on my fundamentals. So for now, every step is a forward step. And I'm happy with that.
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I'm a full-time lead graphic designer, and I do small freelance logo, design, and illustration jobs on the side. I like my day job and the people that I work with (as well as the stability and benefits), but I'm working on a 5 year plan to flip things to illustration full-time, and doing a little design on the side.
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I work full time as an admin, and thank goodness it pays the bills because nobody would pay me for my illustration work LOL! Someday...
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I work from home as the admin for my husbands construction business... Something I desperately want to quit. Haha! In the last few months I've also become a home school mom to my 5 kids. I've done it before, but its so much harder when I don't get to set the curriculum and schedules. I do art in the in between moments... hopefully those moments will increase to something more, or at least to something semi consistent.
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@charitymunoz I feel your pain. I'm in the same boat. Making progress and working when I can, but I'm on the slow boat for sure.
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@Pamela-Fraley Same story here, but with four kids, and I also used to homeschool. It is so different following someone else’s plans!
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@sarahlash oh my gosh! It was nothing like homeschool. I’m so glad we’re done. My sister in San Diego still has 2 weeks.
on a side note, there should be a support group for mom artists. My family loves my art and is encouraging in their way. But...they also don’t ever want me to go do it because that means I’m not paying attention to them anymore. I used to go to the library or my favorite coffee shop... but now I can’t hide anywhere. -
I work at a videogame studio as a VFX artist. It's a great place to be and I'm very fortunate - surrounded with artists and creators. Although the job is filled with amazing creative challenges, there's something special about designing and building a story and art in a picture book. I'm happy to spend my days solving problems with explosions and jump jets and my nights drawing goofy characters. I don't picture myself leaving anytime soon.
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I am a Physicist and was working in a laboratory till a few months ago. I found it impossible to work on art during those day. Since we had to always stay at work over-time. So, I quitted that job and gave myself a few months. After that I started to work as a teacher in high-school. This gave me so much more time to develope my art and start some personal projects. When my art improves to a better level, I would love to work as a full-time artist. I literally love to just draw the whole time. In my idea, full time doing art is great but it is hard to achieve to a level that it can work out. And as a side-job, the best would be something like a Graphic designer, or teaching is great. I love that I can spend time with children. Their energy gives me energy as well
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@Pamela-Fraley So glad to know I'm no the only one! Makes it feel better when there's more who share your "pain".
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@Pamela-Fraley @sarahlash We definitely need a mom's support group, homeschooled or otherwise. My older 2 just stopped being homeschooled this year, we just got my 3yo used to preschool . . . and then quarantine happened. Now, looks like we're going back to homeschooling for the fall. They both take up a ton of time and energy! Hang in there! We'll across the finish line one day!
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@charitymunoz @Pamela-Fraley It's so nice to come across others who are in a similar situation. I’m just trying to squeeze in these svs classes and illustration work where I can, usually after bedtime. It’s exhausting, and with the quarantine, everything has gotten even crazier. But I am grateful to have found something that I love doing, and trying to remain present in this season while it’s here.
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I've been working full time as artist for ten years now! Currently I am a full time illustrator. I work in house at a company that makes children's products, I mainly work on comics, books and educational magazine content. Before illustration I worked in games, I lucked out and was able to start directly after graduating art school.
As for how long it took though, I decided I wanted to be an artist when I was 9, my high school had a focus on fine art, so I took art classes there. Then I went after an animation/illustration degree which took me about 7 years to get through.
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@ArtofAleksey. Lol anytime
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I've had a lot of odd jobs over the past decade but what I ended up sticking with is my career in the maritime industry. I started about three years ago. I love the water and I get to travel to new places and ports. The ocean, marine life, and maritime culture are endless inspirations for my work. It's pretty easy to find time for projects, too. When my watch ends, I just find a place to park it - either in the common areas of the ship or my stateroom, and draw for a few hours before getting some sleep.
It was a ton of hard work and low pay in the beginning but I recently arrived at a point where I have more stability (one ship in one port) and that's allowed me to focus more on my illustration studies.
Before this I lived in NYC and worked in retail, delivery, print production, etc.. all of those jobs and my commute in and out of the city, drained me so much.. A very good friend of mine once said, you have to find a way of easing the pressure so you have time to create. I think it's different for everyone, but where I am now works well for me.
