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Yeah, no. I stayed at my day job and built up my comics career until I could afford to leave the day job and still pay for food/shelter/healthcare. Writing full-time was my dream, and I achieved it! While still being a fiscally-responsible adult.
Dreams are great, and you shouldn't let them go. Keep creating! But shaming people for also living in the world and needing to pay bills is crap. Plenty of brilliant artists and writers never earn enough from their work to cover all of life's expenses, and that's okay.
ALSO, if you have a day job that you find joy and/or meaning in, it doesn't make you less of an artist. I last worked for a nonprofit, writing for the marketing dept to raise money for the families of disabled/fallen firefighters. Your skills can serve more than just your dreams.
And of course, having work and life experiences outside of your art and your dreams IS ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD THING. Be a full, well-rounded person. Not a candle rushing to burn out.
The whole "the starving artist is the TRUE artist" viewpoint also devalues the art itself. Artists and writers SHOULDN'T need to starve. They're putting in the work. What they're creating has value. And doing something for love AND profit doesn't make you any less of an artist.
ALL THAT SAID, if you feel like you're ready to go all-in as a creative, only you can know if it's the right choice! Just remember it's not a zero-sum game. Needing to dip back into part/full-time work at a later date doesn't mean you failed/lost. Circumstances aren't constant.
Some more good words on this subject.
FRIENDS WHO HAVE/HAD DAY JOBS WHILE PURSUING CREATIVE CAREERS: What are YOUR protips? Mine are:
- Write breaks/lunches
- Be up late OR early to write (but not both)
- Writing dates w/ friends on evenings/weekends
- Accountability emails w/ friends to track work goals/deadlines
- Write breaks/lunches
- Be up late OR early to write (but not both)
- Writing dates w/ friends on evenings/weekends
- Accountability emails w/ friends to track work goals/deadlines
- Use driving/line/waiting time to plan creative work (I got REALLY good at writing on my phone)
- Thinking/planning is part of the process! Even if it stays in your brain meat that day, you're still putting in the work.
- Don't beat yourself up if you don't write EVERY day.
- Thinking/planning is part of the process! Even if it stays in your brain meat that day, you're still putting in the work.
- Don't beat yourself up if you don't write EVERY day.
- Get REALLY good at time management. Working multiple jobs while making time for social obligations and taking care of physical/mental health is a lot to manage.
- Planning to leave a day job? Get REALLY good at budgeting.
- Give yourself deadlines. FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEM.
- Planning to leave a day job? Get REALLY good at budgeting.
- Give yourself deadlines. FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEM.
- Get to know the folks trying to break in the same time as you. Support you peers!
- Networking? Don't be a dick.
- Earn money from your work? Congrats! Pay your taxes.
- Take classes/workshops in your field AND others if you can afford to. Stretch other creative muscles!
- Networking? Don't be a dick.
- Earn money from your work? Congrats! Pay your taxes.
- Take classes/workshops in your field AND others if you can afford to. Stretch other creative muscles!
