Juggling Jobs
I’m frustrated at the moment by the lack of time spent on my art work and other related activities, such as visiting exhibitions. The problem is that I have to have a part time job to support myself and my practice, but I want to be working full time as an artist. At the moment the hours of my part time job are increasing, further squeezing the time I can spend on my art work. I knew when I decided to become an artist that finding the time (not to mention money!) would be a challenge, and I dedicate as much time as I can to my art work, but I had hoped to have progressed further than I have by now.
So practical head on, what can I do? These are some options I’ve thought of;
1.Find a new job
2.Look for artist opportunities, such as residencies
3.Apply for funding to help with projects
4.Sell some work and merchandise to support myself
Ideally I’d like a mixture of the above solutions, working part time and further supporting myself and my practice through sales of work and funding for new projects. I have an exhibition planned for early next year, so I hope that that will provide me with a bit of exposure, more experience, and an opportunity to sell some work.
I knew that being an artist would be difficult, but it’s much more than just a career, so giving up is simply not an option.
