Are you an artist with a full-time job, part-time job, or do you do the art full-time? One of the big questions amongst artists is which of these is the best way to do it. I have tried all of these routes, and I’m going to transparently share the pros and cons of each, as well as my favorite.
Full-Time Job:
I did the full-time job thing straight out of college. I had a lot of debt leaving school, zero external support, and people beat the fear of financial responsibility into me. I decided on what I thought was at least a somewhat practical route that would support my dream, or at least not lose sight of it. I picked a job in an art adjacent field, and did this from around 2007-2019.
Pros:
The benefit of this method, particularly in an art adjacent field, was that it helped me build my skillset while establishing and building my business. 2007 was a very different time, but a full-time job at that time gave me the financial resources to have a two bedroom apartment to myself, using the second bedroom as an art studio. I was also able to cover my car payment, and my student loans. I actually managed to pay off my student loans 10 years early with the money I made off my art during that period. By holding the full-time job, I always had the resources to get whatever supplies I needed or wanted, and I had money for things like application fees and art fairs.
Cons:
The major downside to this route was that , after a while, it was killing my soul. I reached a point that every moment I spent on the clock felt like torture. It was another moment wasted on something other than my dream. My mind was only halfway present, and my heart was somewhere else completely. After working a full-time schedule, the amount of time left for art was minimal. In order to have that time, I had to sacrifice friendships, relationships, and social activities. By 2019, with the state of the economy and the growing toll on my mental health. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I decided I would rather die fighting for my dream than spend another minute suffering through a state of existence not meant for me.
Full-Time Artist:
On June 19, 2019, I left the workforce and committed to being a full-time artist, living exclusively off of my earnings from my art and occasional contract work an art educator and lecturer. I managed to make this call ahead of the pandemic, and had several fruitful years, even through the pandemic.
Pros:
When I shifted to being a full-time artist, it literally gave all my energy to being an artist. I could spend all day pursuing my creative interests, wherever they led me. I found that, at least at times, people took me more seriously because of my full commitment to my field. I didn’t have to worry about ever missing an opportunity because I had to work or was on the clock. My day and my time were my own. I will in the thick of my purpose and my calling.
Cons:
I think the reality of being a full-time artist is very different from the illusion, particularly if you don’t come from money or have a trust fund. I did not and do not. Many people think that full-time artists sit around all day creating. That was far from the truth, at least for me. I was having to give a tremendous amount of time to prospecting, sales, marketing, and all the other aspects of running a legit business. I had some success for several years, but once the economy turned post pandemic, people stopped spending as much on art as I had seen over the previous decade. Material costs and services were going up, but people were spending less, and spending less often. When you live exclusively off your art, you can’t help but notice when the sales slow, or completely stop. I felt the pressure, and although I was willing to find a creative solution, I found it pushing me towards compromising my art for the market. I was making subtle changes, thinking a bit too much about what sizes and color palettes would sell, even if only on a subconscious level. There’s nothing wrong with caring about the market, but it diminished my work, and I started to lose my spark, the thing that made me special and brought me to the dance.
Part-Time Job:
This past year, after doing the full-time art thing for over half a decade, I decided it was time to look for stable part-time work, just 10-15 hours a week, preferably in my field. I found a job teaching paint and sip classes where I could earn hourly wages + tips and benefits as an employee.
Pros:
This method allowed me to get my footing again and secure sustainability for my simple life. It allowed me to get back to making the work I really want to make without concern for the market. It gave me, overall, my greatest degree of freedom. Having a job in a related field also allowed me to continue networking and growing my business, even while being on the clock.
Cons:
To be honest, there really aren’t many downsides to this route. I have a schedule and places I need to be at certain times I might prefer to be doing something else. As an employee, I also have to answer to other people, which can be challenging after answering to nobody for a long time.
Conclusion:
For me, this current route is really feeling like the winning formula for me. I like having at least a small degree of stability, while maintaining my flexibility. It really takes a lot of pressure off, which opens up so many other doors of opportunity. It allows me to take chances again, because I have some resources and know I will have at least some money coming in. As a part-time employee, when I leave work, I can check the baggage at the door and shift my focus back to my vision. While I’m at work, I can still focus, to a great degree, on my dream. There’s a synchronicity that just works. In fact, I just had a collector leave my studio after picking up a commission. This collector found me at my classes. Next week I have a private lesson with someone else that I met through my classes. I’m stacking the opportunities and using my creativity to maximize them.
When it comes to the path for being an artist, there is not a right way or a wrong way. You ultimately have to decide what works for you. You have to find your way. That may change at different periods of your life. I’m grateful that I have tried all three routes, because it has taught me so much. Don’t ever feel like there is only one way to do it., or that you can’t change course. You can do it this way, that way, or mix them up. You can turn around or start over. What works for one artist may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for someone else. You may just need to pick a path and begin the journey, adjusting along the way. One thing I will say, is don’t sleep on the value keeping your art a hobby and staying in the pocket of your passion. Money has a way of changing things, whether we think it will or not, and selling art doesn’t make you more of an artist. The criteria for being an artist is the act of making art. I think more important is creating the art you really need to create. That’s priceless. Now go find your path!
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