De-Mystifying the Day Job

By Emma Hapner, June 18, 2024

In a world focused on social media, it often appears that everyone has a perfect life. Scrolling through beautiful, aesthetic images and videos every single day, including those of artists, can make it seem like everyone has their dream job, dream home, and dream life. Although seeing successful artists can be really inspiring, it also can feel frustrating. I would always wonder how they’re doing it, and compare their career to my own, wondering what I’m doing wrong. While there certainly are many full-time artists who can sustain themselves on art sales and commissions (and we are so happy to see it) this just isn’t the reality for everyone, especially emerging artists. I remember in college, after making the bold decision to major in Fine Arts (shoutout to my parents for supporting me!) sitting in one of many of the visiting artist lectures the school provided, and wondering how artists get to be so successful. The business side of being an artist seemed so intangible, and so unstable. What if no one buys your work? How do you pay your bills? What about health insurance? All of these questions plagued me as a student, making me wonder if I was on the right path.

Then, one of the visiting artists said something that shifted my perspective, and has stuck with me to this day. He said, boldly and without embarrassment, “I have always had a day job. My whole career, I have always had a job outside of my art practice.” Hearing this filled me with relief. I had always thought that if you needed a day job as an artist, that you had failed in some way, but to hear a professional, talented artist state this, I realized that it was nothing to be ashamed of. Having a day job can be a very positive experience for an artist. I actually have several part-time jobs to support my practice, and although it can be challenging sometimes, it has many benefits. First, for me, having a steady income gives me more artistic freedom. I don’t have to worry about selling every piece I make, and can make the work that I want to make, without fear of not being able to pay the bills. Also, one of my jobs allows me to connect with other artists much more frequently than I would on my own.

I believe that having transparency about day jobs is really important, especially to emerging artists. I have always found it encouraging when other artists have shared that they have a day job too, so I always try to share this fact with others. In this economy, no one should be ashamed of having a job in addition to their art practice. For this post, I asked several talented, hardworking emerging artists to share about their experience working a day job and how it has affected their art practice.

“Do you have a day job? If so, what is it? How does it affect your art practice?”

Aurora Abzug received her BA in Studio Art from Bard College, and additional training in academic painting from The Ridgewood Art Institute. Her work in representational oil painting distills my daily experience into objects and icons.

When asked about her experiences with a day job, Aurora responded, “I work full time as a project coordinator for a company that builds crates and handles art logistics for artwork at museums. Although I’ve always been in a position in which I have to work a day job, it’s important for me to feel a connection between what I do from 9 to 5 and my artistic practice. In the past, I’ve worked at an art gallery, an art fair, and as an assistant for several artists. Each of these roles has introduced me to a new perspective on the art world, a new creative community, and different set of skills that relate to my own navigation of art business. In my current job in art logistics, I am learning so much about the way major art institutions build and actualize programming, plus I’m learning so much about what goes into crating and packing art, and keeping it safe during travel. This work has made me a much better art handler and packer with my own work.

It’s helped me enhance my inventory system, both physically and digitally, and built up my confidence to ship my own work. Most importantly, working among many other artists (some of whom I bump into at art openings and events around the city), I find I am able to build community with creative people outside of the (often stressful) gallery space. I have great conversations with my coworkers about what they’re working on, upcoming shows and opportunities, and how they balance working full time with their own art making. I’ve learned really good time management and prioritization from having a day job and then coming home to the full time job of being an artist. In fact, the most important thing that working for someone else has taught me is exactly how much time and effort I am willing to give myself, and what healthy boundaries enable that exchange.

In a perfect world, I would paint full time, and it’s easy to become resentful of the eight-hour days spent away from my studio. I don’t want to downplay or deny that my inventory is much smaller than that of my peers with part time jobs or who paint full time. I often fear that I don’t have enough new work to show at studio visits or submit to all the opportunities I want to take part in. But for now, I have to let that frustration fuel boundary setting between the office and the studio. I focus on my appreciation that my artistic practice will not make or break my ability to afford necessities, and I can take refuge in the kind of artistic experimentation I would not risk if I were financially dependent on painting alone.”

Jessica Capobianco is a contemporary landscape painter, living and working in NYC. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art and is continues to make work with a focus on traditional landscapes and the suburbs.

When asked if she has a day job, Jess said, “Yeah! I work as an art handler, which involves inspecting conditions of artwork and then packing and transporting it usually to collectors, galleries, or museums. As a contemporary landscape painter, I find it really important to be aware of the traditions of landscape painting and how its representation has evolved over time. Most days I get to see up close artwork from both modern and classical artists that I can observe in a way that I never would be able to in a museum. It’s really cool to be able to see the different styles of work from artists from all different movements and I never know what to expect to see the next day which can be very exciting. I think just seeing all different types of paintings, drawings, and sculptures especially in a more intimate way really gets me to think about my own work and new techniques or themes that I could possibly include in it!”

JBH is a contemporary, surrealist artist living and working in Brooklyn making figurative, imaginative work reflective of her own experiences.

When asked about her experiences working a day job as an artist JBH said, “My day job is a speech language therapist. I work in a Brooklyn charter school with kids from kindergarten all the way up to eighth grade. It affects my art practice by draining me! I tend to come home and have barely any energy to paint but i always try to even if it’s for an hour or so. The job itself makes me daydream a lot, so next to data sheets i write poems and plan paintings all day. I mainly am teaching repetitive thirty minute lessons all day long usually 14 of the same or very similar variant of the same lesson each day. Hence, I daydream quite a bit, always longing to be working on my art. As much as i am thankful for my day job and all the countless hours i put into getting myself to be a therapist, I wish to not see me do it forever.”

Joanne Funkhouser, a contemporary artist from Philadelphia, developed her classical technique at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, focusing on figurative, still life and landscape painting. Since graduating, Funkhouser explores new subjects and mediums in the studio.

When asked about her day job, Joanne said, “Yes, I have a day job, and I am a live-in nanny, a substitute teacher, and I have taught art classes at different art centers for the past 4 years. I would say it affects my art practice because you’re so tired after work, and you have to put so much energy into your job that the creative flow starts moving towards your job, in which you exchange your creative energy for currency and then I kind of disconnect from the creative flow of my art practice, but it does have benefits. I learn different skills in my day job that I bring back into the art world and how I move through it. Disconnecting from the art world and working in another world also lends an exposure to a different kind of confidence that makes me see a different perspective where I’m not so absorbed in the art world that I get lost, and I can kind of take a breather.”

Zoe Toscano is an artist born and raised in California currently living in Brooklyn, New York. After running a gallery in her hometown of Modesto, she decided to pursue her graduate degree at the School of Visual Arts. Her art practice is centered around oil painting.

I’ve worked multiple jobs since I was a teenager along with my art practice. Over the years I’ve had a range of jobs from retail, to the restaurant business to running a gallery with some I’m sure I’m just forgetting. As of now I manage a business and do accounting. I recently ended my position with the job I had throughout grad school and I’ll be teaching this coming school year. I find that artists who have day jobs typically fall into two catergories: those within the art/creative world and those outside it. The former is beneficial because it engages your creative intuition on a daily bases and has the greatest potential to forge important connections in your career. The later may not provide these benefits as readily but breaks (whether physical or mental) from your artistic practice can contribute to the longevity and stamina of your overall artistic career. Burnout is a very real concern!

Time management is important to your practice. No matter what other obligations life has to offer. I strongly believe financial literacy and independence is extremely important to myself as an artist, as a woman, as a person. Day jobs provide a consistent incomes that provides safety, security and flexibility. The biggest downfall to a “day job” is without time management it can be extremely difficult to maintain a studio practice. Jobs are mentally and physically strenious and you simply have less time in your day to dedicate to making art. But nothing in life worth having comes easily and art requires discipline, sacrifice, faith, dedication and passion. It’s taken time to maintain a schedule between working a “day job”, making art and living a fulfilling life but it is possible. Put in the work but also don’t be hard on yourself. Life can be brutal and extremely beautiful so carve a space for yourself to listen, be vulnerable and be inspired.

Featured Artists

Aurora Abzug

IG: @auroraabzug

Jessica Capobianco

IG: @jesscapo

JBH

IG: @jbhthepainter

Joanne Funkhouser

IG: @joannefunkhouser

Zoe Toscano

IG: @zoetoscanoart