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I've been seeing some really interesting discussions going around regarding being a working artist (whether that's freelance, contract, or full-time at a company), and I figured I'd toss my thoughts in a thread. Background: I've done all three, spanning film, tv, games, & more -
- If I had one nugget of advice to put first, above all others, it would be: Find a way to ensure you can address your core needs (food, shelter, insurance, and other living expenses) first and foremost. This will vary from person to person, as everyone's needs and costs -
- of living vary, but it's so incredibly important to ensure you can hit the bare minimum so that you're not living in the red or paycheck to paycheck because of costs and debt. Some people may fantasize that artists produce their "best" work when they are in the most emotional -
- distress, but this is a load of croc. Find a way to pay your bills, and respect that it might take a few years to get to a point where you can edge towards doing more of the type of work you want to do. What's important is to realize these things can take time, and -
- improving your work to the point where your quality and speed of creative output can generate a livable wage on its own may take years. Brace for that. Plan for that. Figure out if there are related roles or jobs you can take on so that your needs can be met first & foremost -
- but don't take your eyes off the prize of continuing to grow in the direction of your dreams. And here's the thing too: dreams change. Dreams evolve. You may find the type of work you think you would enjoy for 8 hours a day isn't as appealing when you have to fulfill -
- someone else's vision. Maybe teamwork is a thrill for you, maybe it isn't. Maybe you love the idea of managing creative people, or maybe you just want to be the one doing the creating. There are so many things to consider, so many diverse roles, but (imo) ahead of all that -
- prioritize yourself. Prioritize your health. Prioritize your quality of life, and figure out how you can get those to a point where it balances out, so that you have the bandwidth to also push yourself to grow as a creative. -
- Don't know what you want to do? Focus on growing specific skills you think are valuable. You don't have to do everything at once! It's only by "doing" that you will discover what resonates you, and what you can potentially turn into a marketable skill. -
- But be patient with yourself as you learn and grow. Getting to the point where you can comfortably "pay the bills" with creative work alone may take years, so make sure you have plans in place to not suffer in the meantime. <3
