Do you really want this?

I'm so glad to see other artists commenting! I hope you'll share your insights and opinions as well. Because this is just my viewpoint, what I've learned so far and I think it's great to mull issues over.

Some days I say I want to be a fulltime artist, others, not so much. I think that means, for me, that I'm really not ready, despite the fact that chronologically, I should be firmly entrenched in my art career if I want to "make it". But does "making it" have to be all or nothing?

I like having the money to buy any art supply that I might feel like. Even if I use it once and say, "not for me". I recently bought every shade of printmaking ink that Daniel Smith sells, before I had even printed in color. I like that luxury, and when I tried out working fulltime a few years ago, I was very very careful with money and wouldn't have done that.

Same with taking art classes. I knew I needed them, and exceptional quality community classes are available to me. But they do cost money and when you're hoarding your money in case your commissions dry up....

I feel like I stopped my art growth because if I didn't have commissions, I had to market to get them, again to pay the bills. And bottom line? I really want to be all that I can be, reach the best of my abilities as an artist, first. Sell, second.

I like not having to produce salable art all the time to pay the bills. I couldn't just relax and try something different, and fail. I felt guilty when I was out in the garden, one of my other interests. That's nuts.

I also didn't like the isolation of being at my home studio day in and day out.

I learned a lot when I worked art fulltime, and one of the things I am sure about is that if I were to do it again fulltime, I would need a studio out of the house among other artists. And to be in a financial position to grow my art business freely.

So for me, and I suspect for many people who still hold "day jobs", the question is, how much do I want to make this jump? Again, is the jump all or nothing?

On the one hand, it's hard to build momentum when you have less time to devote to art and your art career.

On the other hand, day jobs take a lot of pressure off of you. A lot to consider.

Right now, I am content with part time art and full time work. When I do leave the day job world, I don't want to ever need to go back. The trick, then, is to make the best use of the time I have when I'm not at work...and I'll talk about that next time!