Hiya folks,I'm still alive believe it or not, but have nothing new aside from my book project illos which have been moving quickly. With all the wedding planning and dinner outings with family, and the book project, on top of the teaching, and, and, yeah. My site, my newsletter, and my groups are suffering. *sigh* So are my illustration friday projects, and anything else I would like to do.
But, I thought instead of posting work I'd open a discussion! Yay for talking! :P So here's the question...
What is/are your job(s)? The jobs you get paid for.
For me, I do several things. I privately teach some awesome young ladies. I have one once a week, two every other week, and three once a month. It's small income, but it adds up quickly. I also teach art (drawing, painting, watercolor, fantasy, manga, cartoons) at our local art museum. There is an education wing, and I have been a part of that family for almost 5 years. I teach ages 6-17. It's awesome pay, but minimal hours. I teach only three days a week, 8 hours total (usually). But workshops and other activities that the Des Moines Art Center (the museum) hold are opportunities to teach as well. They're side jobs.
And then, I freelance. Usually several projects, one book, one private commission. Everything else I do doesn't seem to go anywhere...but I keep moving. It's tough! Especially when you load on the wedding. But I have to say, out of all of that I'm so very grateful that I'm not in retail any more, I'm not serving burgers, and I'm with kids! :D I am very blessed in the work I do!
Now....what about you!?
8 comments:
Hi, Sara! So I'm going to school full time, living off my GI Bill ^_^ But today we had an open house for the art/art history staff and alumni in my college. It was really great that I was able to hear that there are different routes to take after graduation. I hadn't realized there were grants, or considered I could apprentice somewhere. I suppose it's a good way to acquire/build a skill set, while I get another paying job.
I was thinking about teaching art, but I'm not sure if I need an education background or what. I guess a good thing about my college is Art and Art History is one combined major. Anyway, I'm kind of apprehensive/anxious/excited/skurrd about The Future.
You have so much on your plate :) Meanwhile, since I only have a photography independent study this semester for art studio, my illustration is suffering. Spring Break next week though!
You are a busy girl, Sara! :)
I do a variety of things too. Besides general painting sales from the web and brick-and-mortar gallery, I do commissions, design & maintain websites (as long as they aren't php based, heheh!), and lately took up being the typist/editor of my pastor's college papers. I like having several places where money can come in.... things are so crazy with the economy nowadays we've got to get creative about income sources!
I do not miss retail either. :P
I work as a digital design clean-up artist at Nickelodeon (on Fairly Odd Parents) - If you don't know, and people always ask, clean up is basically like inking. Only it's on the computer. We take the designs - characters, props, and backgrounds - and we redraw them in the computer using Adobe Illusrator. It's a pretty mind numbing job - especially since I've been doing it for several years - but it's also a lot of fun - animation is in a hell of a funk these days, so there's way too many people trying out for too few jobs at the moment...
This last year I did a lot of freelance work - toy design, hand bag textiles, children's game boards - but, except for a game board I'm currently working on, that's taking forever to finish) I've tried not to take on any more projects so I can concentrate on booking some (or at least one) children's book gig.
One thing that has distracted me from those (which is why I'm not posting much, if anything at the moment) is Shutterstock and other microstock places. Since I use Adobe Illustrator for my day job at Nickelodeon it was way too easy to start uploading images to shutterstock (they really like vectors there) and other microstock places. I started at the end of January with 50 images that I already had just sitting on my computer...and have created 200 new images since then. It's insane. I've been waking up an hour early in the morning and am constantly checking my numbers...I have to reign it in though as my children's book dream will never be realized if I keep on the clip-art train. But it's been fun coming up with ideas and seeing if people will buy them...
Anyhow - and this is the only time I'll ever mention it here - http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=325258 - because I'm a shill - if you wanna jump on the microstock train - I have to warn you, it's addicting...
So that's basically it - this year I have to get back on track - I want to be ready for the summer SCBWI conference in Los Angeles (since it's a couple of towns over)...so I'm going to focus there...hopefully.
Isaac, you work at a place I consider to be very cool! I grew up watching Nickelodeon (now I have that song going through my head...Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick....Nick, Nick Nick Nick...Nickelodoeooooooon), so I find that pretty cool. Anyone remember "You Can't Do That on Television?" Don't say, "I don't know." :)
I'm a 6th grade, middle school Science teacher. I've been teaching middle school for 7 years, and I still love it. Working with children is a very rewarding job and Science is way fun to teach (lots of explosions, dissections, labs, etc....) It provides me with endless entertainment...middle schoolers are basically 2 year olds with large bodies, and a steady reliable paycheck. It's also nice to have the summers to create art exclusively.
In college and in high school, I was the editorial cartoonist for the school newspapers and did some yearbook stuff.
I almost ended up with an Art Minor but somehow ended up with a Music one. I'm pretty much an educated Mut.
Hi all,
Interesting and varied info. LOL
After college, I was a bar tender, an acct rep, and finally a 7th grade science teacher. After my daughter was born, I stayed home and started making cards, which led me to illustrating my own cards, which led me to selling them on Etsy, which led me to making stamps for StampingBella, which is leading me to other stamping companies...whew. I also take the odd commission piece from people on Etsy.
For the past nine months, I have worked part-time at my daughter's school as a reading instructor three days a week. It keeps me close to her, but it limits my art time too. I had planned to start submitting to agents or publishers this year, but I am not sure I am ready and have been putting it off. I would like to do something soon though. I have heard it takes 5 to 10 years to get your firt published book, so I am in year 2 or 3 depending on how you want to count. LOL
Thanks to all for sharing,
Christy
It's been fun reading all these post and getting to know about everyone's life.
My Story by Wendy Offield
I'm still in retail, and for the most part I enjoy it. I admit that it is a dream to only work part time. I'm the lead bookseller over the children's department at a Barnes and Noble in Austin Texas. I love being surrounded by the picture books. I'm really looking forward to seeing the title's with your names on them. I was able to order in one of Sara b's book which was beautiful.
I also have a small craft business where I make sock toys which I sell at toy stores, craft shops and I'm hoping this year the farmers market.
Wendy
Oh, hey Wendy - we'll be almost-neighbors come June when I move to Houston ^_^
Wendy I totally remember the retail bookstore days -- I used to work at Borders for years! Was a shelver, though. :)
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