I've been feeling the pressure of change. For many years now I have been a home dad working part-time and creating art mostly for myself. When COVID hit and, everyone seemed to go stir crazy, I was happy about not having to report to a regular shift. I used the time to focus on improving my art.
It started a domino effect of emotions in me. After my son was born my freelance work dried up. To get by I went back to something I knew to keep a paycheck flowing. The job had nothing to do with art. It was just a means to an end.
Library Police Special Fines Unit sketch
With my son nearing graduation he's almost old enough to take care of himself. I can go back to working full-time but if I have to do that where I am now I might just become suicidal.
Even being 15 years removed from full-time art employment, I feel confident in my ability to learn and recall quickly. For my freelance work, I taught myself, among other things, Wordpress and Procreate. I know I could quickly be up to speed.
The real trick for me is finding where I fit now. I thought I knew but it's been hard finding something for an illustrator with graphic design experience. What I do know is the job I have is just that -- a job. I'm good at it because I take my work seriously and have been doing it for so long but I have NEVER liked it.
Creating images that inform and entertain is where my heart has always been. When I don't draw I become depressed and cantankerous -- just ask my family.
I am never happier than when I am finding ways to combine information with aesthetics or devising a plausable scifi scenario. I think I'm pretty good at it too. Enough to have supported my family with it for a while.
This change is long overdue.
C.
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