I'm not actually in this wide world of job opportunities and trying to make a living on my own wage, so I really can only comment with what seems to be the case. And that's really limited as well, since I have very little statistics or education on the matter unless I have a friend very impassioned about their career choice. That being said:
In America, I don't think being a janitor pays more than being a starving artist. In retail, in Virginia, you're lucky to break the $10 an hour mark and it's nearly impossible to break $15. (The only time I've seen an hourly wage rise above $15 was a 3-month $17 internship working for a marine corp museum.) Models; well my ideas on how much money they earned were completely shattered after a long discussion with some of my teachers. Before you hit super model (if you ever), it's a humiliating, exploitative experience with low pay - the model market is saturated, so getting a job is very hard.
Granted, artist seems to be the most difficult job, because the field is also terribly saturated. There are the caricature artists that earn a nice commission during fairs, festivals, parties, and on populated streets. Tattoo artists, if they have a good reputation and a nice portfolio, can usually find nice paying jobs and steady customers. Though I think the cash spot is getting museum commissions and auctioning your art to a well-endowed crowd (a great way to get out there is through charity auctions, it seems).
And while I do believe it depends on the type of fiction you're writing, the field has been rapidly becoming more and more of a profitable career. Certainly reading Ray Bradbury's essays lead me to believe that writing books was hardly the way to have an easy life - but recent authors (Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Dr. Phil, J.K. Rowling, Chuck Palahniuk, Augusten Burroughs, Phillip Pullman, K.A. Applegate, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, etc.) have been meeting with a lot of success. Why do I say this? I thought writing was hopeless due to lack of demand and difficulty with publishers, but my teachers and my father have emphasized how much the industry has changed and is changing...
So... I guess my point is that I'm under the impression that the skilless jobs that pay a lot are the ones that are dangerous, and that art and writing usually pay as much as retail or janitorial work, not less. And that such a statement might echo America. I certainly like your job security, rights and pay far more than America's legislation though.
I believe you have the skills to be an art exception and that you can earn a name for yourself, striking it rich. And... well, I admire you for having the dedication, determination, and gumption to follow through on making a career out of your joy.
Also, I have had pieces in mind to buy, but I'm waiting until I have money to spend before I give you an official email. :3 Do you have an ebay account to sell your pieces and commissions on? Ebay helped my alleviate some of my friend's college costs; she offered tarot readings. Since you can use PayPal and market to a wider audience (and also share links to your portfolio) AND it's relatively inexpensive to use ebay, maybe it will help business pick up. :)
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branchandroot
naive impressions
Date: 2007-08-27 01:38 am (UTC)In America, I don't think being a janitor pays more than being a starving artist. In retail, in Virginia, you're lucky to break the $10 an hour mark and it's nearly impossible to break $15. (The only time I've seen an hourly wage rise above $15 was a 3-month $17 internship working for a marine corp museum.) Models; well my ideas on how much money they earned were completely shattered after a long discussion with some of my teachers. Before you hit super model (if you ever), it's a humiliating, exploitative experience with low pay - the model market is saturated, so getting a job is very hard.
Granted, artist seems to be the most difficult job, because the field is also terribly saturated. There are the caricature artists that earn a nice commission during fairs, festivals, parties, and on populated streets. Tattoo artists, if they have a good reputation and a nice portfolio, can usually find nice paying jobs and steady customers. Though I think the cash spot is getting museum commissions and auctioning your art to a well-endowed crowd (a great way to get out there is through charity auctions, it seems).
And while I do believe it depends on the type of fiction you're writing, the field has been rapidly becoming more and more of a profitable career. Certainly reading Ray Bradbury's essays lead me to believe that writing books was hardly the way to have an easy life - but recent authors (Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Dr. Phil, J.K. Rowling, Chuck Palahniuk, Augusten Burroughs, Phillip Pullman, K.A. Applegate, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, etc.) have been meeting with a lot of success. Why do I say this? I thought writing was hopeless due to lack of demand and difficulty with publishers, but my teachers and my father have emphasized how much the industry has changed and is changing...
So... I guess my point is that I'm under the impression that the skilless jobs that pay a lot are the ones that are dangerous, and that art and writing usually pay as much as retail or janitorial work, not less. And that such a statement might echo America. I certainly like your job security, rights and pay far more than America's legislation though.
I believe you have the skills to be an art exception and that you can earn a name for yourself, striking it rich. And... well, I admire you for having the dedication, determination, and gumption to follow through on making a career out of your joy.
Also, I have had pieces in mind to buy, but I'm waiting until I have money to spend before I give you an official email. :3 Do you have an ebay account to sell your pieces and commissions on? Ebay helped my alleviate some of my friend's college costs; she offered tarot readings. Since you can use PayPal and market to a wider audience (and also share links to your portfolio) AND it's relatively inexpensive to use ebay, maybe it will help business pick up. :)