Quit job and be an artist?
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| Fri, 09-01-2006 - 4:51pm |
I think my main struggle lately is one that I'm having with my spirit. But before I start going on a rant I wanted to say that it's possible to get better. I know it seems impossible for some of you right now, but it's amazing what the medicine can do with time.
The meds have been working fine/great for the past 6 years. My main goal while taking them was to become a part of society and to be productive. Initially it was to just get out from under my bed covers - real tough at first.
Now, after doing the productive thing, I feel that I'm missing Art. I just need to quit my job, figure out a cheaper way to live, and just become the artist that this 40 hour monotny is taking from me. I don't have any kids, so no obligation there. My husband has a low paying job and I was the one bringing in the majority of the funds, but he's supportive as long as we come up with a plan where we can survive.
Have any of you done anything like this and if so, has it worked?

Hi! I quit my job/career to stay home, but I stayed home with my stepdaughter (cutting out the very expensive child care) and my DH makes more than I could ever hope to make in the Social Work field. Right now, I'm still at home/unemployeed and DSD returned to school in August. I just can't get myself to go back to Social Work. I know with the extremes I have had, the stress will be just too much again. I've decided to go back to get a certificate (even though I have a Bachelors and almost finished the Masters) in Medical Transcription. My income will be less than half of what it was in my Social Work field, but we will be able to avoid paying for child care -that in itself was about 1/4 of my income. So, when it all washes out, I'll bring in about 75% of what I use to bring in, BUT I'll be doing it from home and DSD won't have to go to after school care or daycare during the summers. Plus, I'll be able to have an income without leaving the house. -I don't like leaving the house much- I'm good at what I do when I start a job (can we say manic phase) but then the tides turn and I get behind and slow and over stressed (can we say depressed phase). Soooo- I'm really excited about doing this. Working from home as much or as little as I want to and getting paid accordingly.
I have no experience with doing Art, I have no talent. hehe. I wanted to be creative and artistic, but it just wasn't going to happen. My artistic talent is in organizing and getting paperwork done / getting people placed in services that typically wouldn't fit or get in.
It sounds awesome if you and DH can work it out, also sounds like you have a very supportive DH, another wonderful blessing on top of your creativity and artistic talents!
I hope it works out for you!
I tried something like that once and failed. I tried going from working full time to part time (at a job that already paid little) and work at pursuing more flute/voice students in my studio. If I could have done that full time, I'd be making a little more and enjoying my job a lot more (to me, giving a music lesson is like opening presents on Christmas morning). It didn't work. I have been trying for 15 years, sometimes working at other jobs, sometimes not, but I have never had much success as a studio musician/teacher.
Realize that you have a long shot here. I know as well as anyone that it is not impossible to succeed at something like that, but its not very likely either. Is there any way you could work as much as possible and make art on your off-hours?
Express.
Beth "Petrouchka"
Okay this may be a terrible idea but what if you found a part time job at first to see how the being an artist thing goes. Then you still have some funds coming in but also get to see how it would be to quit all together and be an artist...
Just a thought!
Meg