The other day I read an interesting article - a blog post from a recent college grad - who received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in 2008. I really think this woman should become a life coach (not that she needs to add anymore onto her already piled-high plate), but her advice and story are impressive, and this 23/24 year-old artist definitely has her life together (even more than many non-artist adults I know)!
When graduating from college, finding a job (and adjusting to post-college "real life") is a scary experience, but for an artist, the combination of that stress, along with the current economy causing a huge lack of job opportunities and the knowledge that your skills / degree / passion as an artist will not exactly allow you to rack in the big bucks are even more overwhelming. How, then can a modern day artist balance paying the bills with remaining sane, and focusing on their art?
We can all relax, as the 2008 BFA Modern Dance graduate has a few simple strategies to share with us. She refers to "pay-the-bills jobs" as PBJ and discusses her day-to-day life of pursuing her dancing passion with several dancing gigs in NYC, while also working at her PBJ - oh, not to mention that she's also started her own company.
The multi-tasking dancer works at her hum-drum secretarial PBJ three times a week, several hours a day and takes on freelance jobs, which allow her to remain flexible and run her company outside of work as well as dance in the various companies she's part of and still pay the bills.
While the dancer is attempting to transition into a PBJ that may provide her with skills that could be useful to her art or the running of her company, she understands the importance of remaining realistic and reveals some impressive - yet practical tips for how artists can balance their lives.The dancer advises:
1. Take care of business: Get a job so that you can pursue your artistic career. If you do not, you will find yourself in a sticky situation.
2. Don't let your PBJ dictate your life, but don't be so picky that no one will hire you because you don't work such-and-such hours
3. Be patient, things will come with time and diligence
4. Just because you have a PBJ, doesn't mean that you are not a "real artist," it's just one of the many hats you wear throughout the day
5. Make time for yourself
6. Make time for your art
