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age
26-29,
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writes: I need advice on how to deal with.....this struggle that I am going through.You see,I have had this very strong desire to become a multi talented artist.I want to sing,dance,act,write,draw,etc.I understand very clearly that it takes many years of training to accomplish this but that's fine because I love doing all of these things and I am willing to work as hard and as long as possible.Writing is my strongest talent I had just recently got accepted into a highly respected creative arts school in my city where I'll be able to perfect my craft.But as I said before I'm not satisfied with just being one thing....I plan on studying art for the rest of my life.My parents have fully supported me until now.I don't see myself doing anything else nor do I like even the idea of doing anything unrelated to the arts.I know I need a fall back plan and it was going to be biology or psychology but I'll be in school for many years and meanwhile other artisans like myself will be focusing only on their craft and getting stronger while I'm getting weaker...My parents tell me to major in biology so I can make money but I don't want to spend years doing something I'm not even that much interested in,then I won't even have time to focus on my craft.My dad says he's going to make me do it, and my parents both keep underestimating me calling me weak-minded or whatever and it hurts that they don't even believe in my talent.......I've been crying all night and my head hurts too much it hurts to nod and I don't know what to do.I don't care about money or big houses or being famous I just want to be beautiful and live a simple comfortable life in a nice little house or apartment where me and my husband(if i ever get one) Can just sit back and enjoy life as it comes.All i want is peace.Thats it......Any suggestions on where i should go from here? Because i dont know.
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reader, anonymous, writes (11 May 2011): I have to agree with the others, I too have a talent for writing even though it may not seem so from my post here hehe.
You're not looking at this with any kind of logic, I know you live in a country that says "follow your dreams" but you have to be smart about it. You say every other creative talent is getting stronger and you're getting weaker, that's not what creativity is about you're in competition with other people, that makes no sense, you write for you, you create things you like and it's happy coincidence if other people like it too and will pay for it.
Don't do biology or that other stuff if you don't want to, go do history or English literature, journalism or train to be a teacher if writing is your strength.
You know how all these artists become successful? By having alternate careers, by having a good solid financial basis to do all their work in their free time. Do you know how many people live in poverty thinking they can be artists or writers? Do you have any idea how hard their lives are?
You may think you're a great writer or artist but if no one else does then you're screwed for life working in a fast food place etc.
OP follow your dream but be smart. You say you know you need a fall back, yet you think you're art will suffer. No offence OP but it's that delusion that has left many people that think that way as destitute losers. The artists you see that did that and were successful are literally 1/1000 OP for every one of them there are 1000 that didn't make it, because any artist will telly you that it's 99% luck that got them to where they are.
Pick a career that will supplement your lifestyle, journalism is great for writers, so is teaching, if you have a flair for things like this then why not teach kids how to do these things. You will have all the time in the world to perfect your craft and you will be able to do it secure in the knowledge that you don't need to. It will be fun for you that way and you won't struggle.
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female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (11 May 2011):
 Just for reference, I pay, each month:
630 dollars in rent for a tiny room with a bathroom (kitchen and bedroom is the same room, the bathroom is big enough for two people to stand in, I can fit 3 people comfortably in my room)
112 dollars a month for food.
75 dollars a month for travel (thats for bus alone, to get back and forth between home and university)
I do have a second hand car that I recently bough and wouldn't have been able to afford if it wasn't for me finishing my studies soon, so I can rely on a better income.
For the car I pay 93 dollars a month in insurance,
about the same (another 93 dollars) for gas if I was to drive it instead of taking the bus that month.
Then there is clothes, going out, shopping, going to the movies, buying things you need to the house like soaps and extra things like curtains, bedsheets, you name it. All that will be in addition.
So lets sum it up, how much do I spend each month? And mind you, I live an extremely MODEST life. I have close to NO luxuries. I hardly ever go out, can't afford to go to the movies more than maybe once every other month, can't afford to eat out much more often that that either.
Total of what is essential to use each month (NOT including clothes, shopping, extra things you need like soaps and shampoo, or luxury items like magazines):
910 dollars a month.
And my education is for free, except I need to buy my own books. A typical book for university studies here is about 55 dollars per book.
Not trying to break your dream, these are just cold facts of life.
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A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (11 May 2011):
 Sweeatheart, unluckily Chigirl is right.
All you want is peace- to sit back and enjoy life as it comes. Did it every occur to you that this is a very expensive dream ? Peace is a luxury.
It's not your fault, of course, maybe it's our society's fault. But your modest dream of a simple comfortable life in a simple nice house....in my country it would cost you at least 2000 euros a month ( about 2400 USD, I guess, AFTER taxes ). I don't know about where YOU live ,in USA , but if you lived, like most artists ,in New York or L.A. , well, you'd spend around 1000 USD in rent for a SHARE in some non descript, slightly dilapidated building, and the rest goes accordingly. You need money to live.
And I am really talking about comfortable, but nothing fancy. No trips abroad, no luxury cars, or designer clothing or fancy restaurants. Just normally comfortable : food,utilities, some non-designer clothing, a second hand car, a movie or theatre ticket every now and then, going out for pizza once a week, some money set aside in case you need urgently a dentist or something like that.
Just for this very simple lifestyle , you need quite a bit of money coming your way REGULARLY and reliably.
There are preciously few artists who can live exclusively off their art, I agree this is a shame, but....
Of course if you are exceptionally talented in something, and exceptionally determined and persistent, and also exceptionally lucky, you'll make it . But, alas, it's a very competitive world, there's much more offer of art than demand for it, so, the key world is exceptionally.
It's not enough to be good at something, or to have an artistic temperament in general.
I am a bit like you, I have an artistic bend and I was fortunate enough that I could devote some time and money to my artistic dabblings, and the joy and satisfaction I got from it it's priceless. As for making a career out of it, well, that's another story. I DID work as an actress, and I did get paid - but honestly , I could not have done it, if I had not been married to a financially stable guy. What I got from my craft, would not have been enough to support me in the simple yet comfortable fashion you describe..
I was not bad either- I was good : no more and no less than thousands and thousands of other actors - who all at some point had to give up and get a "real" job, or accept living forever in "romantic " poverty .( Which sounds fun at 20 but sucks at 40 ).
I feel bad in discouraging a young budding artist, in fact I don't mean to do that, if you are born an artist at heart , it will always stay with you and it will help you through life more than 100 shrinks, so don't give up. I just want to invite you to be practical and realistic, and see your parent's point. You need at least a minimal level of security in life, and you need to acquire those marketable skills that can guarantee you that. If then, you discovered yourself still extremely talented in something , and extremely passionate about it- then you'll find the way . Maybe you'll pursue your art at night, or save enough to give yourself a couple of sabbatical years to see if you can make it,.... you'll come up with something.
But please remmber that first you need to have a feasible ,workable plan to support yourself !
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female
reader, chigirl +, writes (11 May 2011):
You're completely missing the point. Your parents don't want you to drop out on being an artist. But your parents don't want to have to pay your way until you are 25 years old! When you turn 18, in most corners of the world you are considered an adult. At that age, your parents are no longer financially responsible for you. And without money, you wont be living in a nice comfy apartment, you'll be living in a box on the street.
Do you think apartments are for free? Or even cheap? They aren't, even if you want to live modest, you still need money. No one lives off of air and love. You need money for food, to pay your bills, education costs money! How are you planning to pay for this art education of yours? Is it for free? If you build up dept to pay for education, how will you pay it back without a real job?
Artists don't earn money. Only a real few do, and by real few I mean FEW. Your chances of earning money from doing art is the same as you being a Hollywood star. It could happen, sure, and you'd enjoy the journey even if you didn't make it or became one of the biggest stars out there. But what would you live on? Air? Sell newspapers at the corner? Sell yourself at the corner? Sorry if you think Im joking or not being serious, but I am.
Be an artist. But be an artist at heart, and make money from something else. Only the ones with rich daddies who are willing to pay for their children until they are old and gray can afford dedicating themselves to nothing but the art. All the rest of us need to work on the side and earn a living.
My father is an artist by the way, well known. He's been in the newspapers on numerous occasions, held exhibitions at numerous galleries and in numerous cities in the country. He made a short movie of his art and himself which was shown on the international film festival, even abroad. Students at the university write freaking papers on his art!
He's studied art at art schools where only a few talented students are accepted, and his whole life he's not has a steady job, but lived for his art.
You know what he told me? No matter what I do, don't become an artist, because there is no money there. He hasn't sold anything. He's in dept. He can't afford things, doesn't even have his own place to live. He free-rides on others, living with friends or family, and all of his belongings are in a box. He doesn't own a piece of furniture or anything, only his art and his box of belongings.
And yes, did I mention that he is in debt? He is not allowed to earn money now either as a part of his pay-down plan to the state. Being on a debt-plan takes away so much of your freedom too. Im not going to get into that, but I warn you: it is not a happy life. Avoid it. Don't close your eyes and go "lalalala I wanna be an artist lalalala". If you can't make a real living you will end up like my dad or worse. No apartment. No belongings. Just your stuff in a box. Oh, and no husband either, because who wants to marry someone who can't financially care for themselves and will only build up debt?
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