Real vs. Creative Life

[Janel Maples]

Pat,

If I understand your work situation correctly, you have approximately 15 extra hours of each work period that is not actually needed to do your job, but you need to be available, on site, for the full 40 hours per week, is this right?

Convents need money, don't they? Why don't you see if you can make a win win situation out of this?

Make a deal. If the nuns keep you in art supplies, you creat paintings during the slack time for them to sell at their Church functions. Perhaps in the bulletins at mass they can advertize portraits for members to help raise money for the Church. Or donate portraits at the school auction. This gets your name out in the community, and builds your portfolio so it is not a waste of your time. Your time is being wasted now, so doing anything artistic is better than nothing.

I guess what I am saying is see if you can find a way to get those three hours a day that are wasted (because you need to be on site) put to a better use for you AND the nuns. They would have a hard time saying no if keeping yourself busy, doing something that makes you happy, also helps raise money for the convent.

My heart goes out to you but I am confident that you will be able to think this through and come up with something that will be good for you.

I'll be thinking of you.

[David Carroll]

Hi Patricia, a writer friend calls it the conflict between commerce and creativity. I think in more spiritual terms: "No man can serve two masters". I left a succesful carreer in product sculprure to pursue a higher calling... Poverty... Well, financial poverty anyway. I have had to live in my studios for the last 6 years in order to have a studio. I have made a choice between comfort and creative freedom. I'll tell you that I would not trade my hardest times today for the life I left behind.

Although extra money is nice, it can't buy fulfillment, and for me the spiritual freedom found in poverty is far superior to life on the treadmill.

I have been seeking a higher plane of existence... "Dirtball Artist", I think finaly, I have arrived.

Blessings, Dave

[Heidi Maiers]

Interesting topic Pat, thanks for bringing it up as I find myself in the same boat as you - on one hand resenting my job because it takes so much away from my art, but on the other hand appreciating it immensly because it is such reliable income.
Right now I am burning the candle at both ends working a 40 hour week plus a 90 minute commute each way (thank goodness I have no snow to shovel). I work in the studio until 2am and then get up at 5am and have a hard time staying awake on the drive each way. I get a second wind around 9pm and am wide awake - can't sleep if I tried. Saturday's I always sleep like a log until 10am and am mad that I wasted half the day already. Such is the life of trying to have two careers instead of a career and a nice hobby.
I am torn because at this point, I probably have enough work lined up to quit my day job and sculpt full time - but that is such a scary step.
My husband works too, but we are not sure how much longer that will be because, unfortunately, he suffers from Parkinson's which also adds large medical expenses to our budget. Until recently, my art career has never even been profitable, so I'll try to do both for as long as I can and play it by ear until it is clear that I can make a dependable income from it.
Anyway, it is interesting reading how others of you have dealt with the dilema of when to take the plunge and go full time. I think it is a slow process getting there, but if persistant and willing to put in long hours, it will happen eventually.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Yes, Pat, the cost of living is less down here, but I know a New Englander who was shocked that it wasn't nearly as low as he'd heard. Still, on our modest income we've managed to pay off a mortgage on a really big Victorian, so I'll always have studio space to spare.

This thread reminds me of my friends, Charlie and Laura, whom I've mentioned here more than once. He was an IBM suit at some point in the past, but hated it. He is now a woodworker, and Laura is a full-time artist. I don't know the numbers, but money is very tight with them. They live below the poverty level, and have to watch every penny like a hawk.

They couldn't be happier! They live on the coast in an A-frame house that Charlie built. They work very hard, Charlie in his shop, and Laura in her little studio, a movable storage shed in the back yard. They live in a touristed area, and Laura sells her work in the local gallery. Some pieces are reproductions -- greeting cards that she prints on her PC, so she can sell the same pieces over and over (a luxury that portrait artists don't have).

There's a lot of unspoiled coastline where they live, and they like to spend weekends exploring it in their sailboat, while Laura takes photos of the seabirds, to include in her paintings.

Sounds idyllic, and in a lot of ways it is, but it comes with no safety net. They have no savings, and no health insurance. When it's time to retire, they'll only have Social Security. Laura may be able to paint into retirement, but woodworking may be more difficult for Charlie in his golden years, so poverty is all they'll know. They really don't care. They spent a few days in my home earlier this year, and I don't think our relative luxury impressed them in the least. They coud easily see the noose that comes with it.

[Michele Rushworth]

I don't think our relative luxury impressed them in the least. They coud easily see the noose that comes with it.

Well said.

[Jimmie Arroyo]

I don't want to forget to include this, so I'll say it first. Heidi, I'm sorry to hear about your husband's illness. My wife used to work for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation in New York City. Unfortunately, she resigned because the Foundation was more interested in putting money into research rather than helping the patients with personal programs and support groups. Because of this, she is now in school for Nursing.

Pat, time is a horrible enemy. I tried my best to squeeze time whenever I could and lost literally thousands of hours of much needed sleep. Working till 2 or 3am, then to wake up at 7am was too much for me after 2 straight years. I thought after living with insomnia for so many years before, that forced insomnia would be a piece of cake. I'm forcing myself to stay up again, it's extremely hard, a freezing attic does'nt help.

We are hardly getting by on bills, always have to tap into the savings to pay the mortgage, but I also have a daughter, and I've already lived my childhood in near poverty level, so there's no way in hell I'll let her live that way. She's why I continue, I can only hope it'll have been worth it. If not, I'm kicking her out of the house at 18, hahahaha.

Good luck Pat.

[Richard Monro]

Pat,
Life is way too short to waste it on a job you hate and transitions are very, VERY scary...but almost always worth it if they allow you to live life with purpose, passion and creativity. Early in my career I worked for corporate America for 7 miserable years (making an extraordinarily living I might add) until one day I had enough. With my very supportive wife a two year old son and a newborn daughter, I sold our large house and moved into an apartment over a garage while I pursued my passion. We went almost a year with no income while living off of saving. Two years later we were doing well enough to buy another home. I would do it again in a heart beat and wonder why I waited so long. Be creative in downsizing. It is amazing how little one can live on if you must.

You have a talent for impressionistic painting. I loved the feel of the one you posted. Good impressionism still sells. Turn these paintings into giclees and peddle them to friends, neighbors, local shops, banks, restaurants...well you get the idea. Use this money to support your particular painting passion whatever it is. Remember that you MUST spend half of your time marketing and selling. Far too many of us forget that these tasks are a very important part of our job. I wish you the best. Take the leap!