This has little to do with school, well; I guess that’s not entirely true. It has to do with me and how I am living my life at this moment and that is heavily influenced by school so, I guess maybe it does.
I just started a new job, I hate it. It’s a menial position in a mail room…. I’m not kidding. It pays well enough I guess, way more the position is worth, but I can’t stand it. I’m about to head in to work right now and it will be my fourth day. It is literally taking everything I have to make myself go. That’s not like me I have had jobs since I was 15 I believe in working hard and try to do so, so this is new. I have come to realize it’s this classes fault. While I have never liked working for other people and in fact started a company so that I would never have to do so again, I now feel a new disgust with the whole afar. I’m working on being a junior so it’s not like this is my first art class, but it is the first one where I have started to feel like an artist… somewhat. With that said, I don’t know what to do. I feel can’t go back, not to something like I am doing now. I know what I want to do and working for a corporation has nothing to do with it and never will. I am lost.
How do you make money as an artist, especially before you have even gotten out of school?
ummm good question. Einstein worked in a patent office. ? most artists, especially early in their careers, have to take other jobs (writer, menial tasks like mail rooms, waiting tables, bartending, web design, etc) so they can eat and have shelter over their head (or marry well...don't recommend getting married to a sugar mama for that purpose). many of us teach (but mostly only the ones who actually like to). art, financially, is simply a tough career. many artists go the direction of graphic/web design to support their art; sculptors often become carpenters or architects in addition to making art. there are benefits to taking a position that assists your art process. in grad school many of my peers in sculpture were carpenter assistants.
ReplyDeletefood and shelter are helpful.
oh yes. if you think teaching might be your direction (even remotely), keep all your project sheets organized somewhere so you can refer back to them.
ReplyDelete