Quitting job (with savings) to focus on craft?
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Has anyone had any experience with living on savings to work on their craft? Any success stories?
I graduated from university a couple of years ago, and have since found it very difficult to dedicate my life to illustration, 3D, and animation, 3 areas which I really enjoyed working on during my course, and developed my skill set in to a point where I felt I had potential.
Unfortunately I was unable to get a job where I can utilize these skills regularly (ie; at all), and had to settle for a typical office job. Though I've recently changed to part time hours, which allows for me to work on these skills for 5ish hours each day (free time), it still isn't enough. I'm not improving enough at this rate to get to the point where I can get the job I'd like, or get good enough to sustain myself via freelance/commission work.
I've got enough savings to last me a year (including rent, food, bills), where I can just focus on drawing, modelling, and animating, from dawn till dusk, but I'd like to get opinions of this lifestyle change from people who have perhaps done it themselves, or at least know people who have.
Is this a necessary thing for an artist to do?
I graduated from university a couple of years ago, and have since found it very difficult to dedicate my life to illustration, 3D, and animation, 3 areas which I really enjoyed working on during my course, and developed my skill set in to a point where I felt I had potential.
Unfortunately I was unable to get a job where I can utilize these skills regularly (ie; at all), and had to settle for a typical office job. Though I've recently changed to part time hours, which allows for me to work on these skills for 5ish hours each day (free time), it still isn't enough. I'm not improving enough at this rate to get to the point where I can get the job I'd like, or get good enough to sustain myself via freelance/commission work.
I've got enough savings to last me a year (including rent, food, bills), where I can just focus on drawing, modelling, and animating, from dawn till dusk, but I'd like to get opinions of this lifestyle change from people who have perhaps done it themselves, or at least know people who have.
Is this a necessary thing for an artist to do?
Replies
I too thought as you that I'd be able to study "from dawn till dusk" but I learned that is pretty impossible: if you want improvement you have to study, and studying is not like working, it requires a huge amount of concentration. It's really really difficult to make, for example, eight hours straight as would be in a office. For myself I usually manage to study around 4 hours a day (also consider that I live with my partner so usually I don't have time in the evenings; with the evenings I'd probably be able to do a couple hours more). It also takes a lot of willpower, self-discipline and effort. Of course this is my case and everyone is different, but what I'm trying to say is that "time" isn't the only thing required. At all.
So my advice is: consider all the risks and set deadlines, like give yourself x months to study and then start looking for a job again (since it almost never happens that after a while you'll be there like "I'm 100% accomplished with my work, time to start looking for a job", but rather there's a real risk you'll keep procrastinating feeling you have to study more). If you feel secure enough, go for it. Losing a job is not the end of the world anyway, in the worst case you can go back and look for something similar to what you have now.
I'm sorry I don't have any real results, but I hope my small experience still helps you somehow
But be sure you know yourself enough to have the dedication for it, if not it's going to be alot of time wasted.
All the best !
There is only so many hours a day you can study and practice. And so many days a week. I'm lucky enough to have some passive income, in addition to a bread-winning wife who's fine with me staying home all day. I've been doing 3d for about 8-10 hours a day, 5-7 days a week, for about six months. But I burn myself out alot, and actually lose time because I work too much, if that makes sense. So lately I've really been having to give myself more part time work so that I am making the most of training time.
That's just me though. You may have better self control. But, if you don't know yourself that well, just be aware.
I understand your part time work may sap some of your energy and motivation. But it's not going to be near as bad as if you run out of money, can't get a decent job, and get yourself into a serious bind that really slows down your learning.
Keep your job. Keep your dignity. Adjust other parts of your life if study/practice needs more attention.
Also, your savings won't last you as long as you think. Ever heard of a PACE plan? Primary, alternate, contingency, emergency. Have a plan for each. Don't take unnecessary risk. Maybe you've got well-to-do family taht you can fall back on, but if you don't, learning that nobody really gives a fuck if you starve to death isn't a nice lesson to learn.