Art student. Statistically speaking, I have about a 2% chance to make a living as an artist one day. With a median income of 14.000€ per year. But hey, it's better than a 0% chance of being an artist.
Art student. Statistically speaking, I have about a 2% chance to make a living as an artist one day. With a median income of 14.000€ per year.
But hey, it's better than a 0% chance of being an artist.
I'm living proof that it's doable, man. One of the big problems with artists making money after they graduate is that art schools (generally) don't teach artists how to be financially responsible...
I'm living proof that it's doable, man. One of the big problems with artists making money after they graduate is that art schools (generally) don't teach artists how to be financially responsible and successful. The worst is the whole "you'd better have a back-up plan" attitude of most every art instructor I've ever known.
It might take you awhile. It might take you years. You may have to start and stop a number of art styles or art-related businesses. But it isn't impossible to make a living from your art.
Thank you. It's good when people farther ahead give on their experience. We're not being thaught that either, but I have some artists around me that are very organized. So I figured I'll have to...
Thank you. It's good when people farther ahead give on their experience.
We're not being thaught that either, but I have some artists around me that are very organized. So I figured I'll have to learn that, too.
I'm developing a kind of side-plan right now, but it's art-related and something that hopefully won't impede my art and art-making.
Yeah, being patient. Besides my ego, I don't have a plan to make any big breaks in the next years.. I'm constantly reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Anywhere I can look at your work? Have a nice day :)
An art-related side hustle is a great idea. It not only solves the problem of "how am I gonna pay the bills", but every piece of art you make just adds to your experience and toolbox. I've got a...
An art-related side hustle is a great idea. It not only solves the problem of "how am I gonna pay the bills", but every piece of art you make just adds to your experience and toolbox. I've got a couple regular clients and commissioners who I do work for, and the work I do for them is good at testing my skills and pulling me out of my comfort zone when needed. Plus: money!
Also: a lot of artists never make it because they just want to remove their Day Job and replace it with their Art Job. At the start, that's not always doable. You can't just unplug one from your life and plug another one into the exact same slot. You're gonna have to shuffle some other stuff around to make it fit. A Day Job's a simple thing to build a life around because you're not the one making any of the big decisions. Your boss is.
Being a freelance artist means you gotta be both the Show and the Business, as James Brown used to say. So you've gotta give a hard eyeball to your finances and expenses and cut out the fluff. And if you've got a Day Job, you've probably got a fair amount of fluff: things you spend your money on to make that Day Job Lifestyle a little more bearable. And you might have to make some difficult decisions, at least at first. Do you want Starbucks every day or do you want to be your own boss, making a living off the art from your own two hands? It's a good feeling when you start regularly paying your bills from nothing more than the art you create. Cutting Netflix (or whatever) out of your life (even for awhile) is a small price to pay.
Reduce your expenses! That's the big one. Don't spend a dime where you don't have to. At least at first. Everyone who's ever opened their first shop or restaurant has had to make sacrifices here and there until the business turned a profit, and artists aren't exempt from that.
I hope that helps and good luck to you and anyone else ready to be a full-time artist!
As for my art, most of it's at http://locuscomics.com. Start at the bottom and read your way up. It's mildly NSFW due to the Monsters & Nekkid People. :)
On one hand, I'm not on top of my finances. But on the other I have been living quite frugally for years now and focusing on art. I know where my priorities are when push comes to shove. This year...
On one hand, I'm not on top of my finances. But on the other I have been living quite frugally for years now and focusing on art. I know where my priorities are when push comes to shove.
This year will be first year where a big part of my expenses has come from art sales. I might even be able to pay back some debts.
I'll keep your advice on expenses in mind though. Thank you for this.
Right now I almost exclusively work in oils, and drawing of course. I mostly do realistic portraits of people. But in the last years I also started having some more conceptual ideas, less focused...
Right now I almost exclusively work in oils, and drawing of course. I mostly do realistic portraits of people. But in the last years I also started having some more conceptual ideas, less focused on painting.
I've been reading Lee Child's Reacher series. The basic formula is there in every book, but the way the plot unfolds can still surprise me. And each book reveals a little more of Reacher's...
I've been reading Lee Child's Reacher series. The basic formula is there in every book, but the way the plot unfolds can still surprise me. And each book reveals a little more of Reacher's backstory and personal development - which isn't much but it's there. It's comforting, easy stuff which I use as a snack/break in between tougher stuff.
Do you share some of your work under this name or do you keep your Tildes identity separate from your professional one? How did you get started? How did you teach yourself? Do you look for feedback while you're writing or do you take a more solitary, isolated approach? Are you tired of my questions yet?
If I ever get around to writing anything more than outlines and rough sketches, I'd likely go this route myself. For me it's pretty simple - money/fame are the very last things I want complicating...
If I ever get around to writing anything more than outlines and rough sketches, I'd likely go this route myself. For me it's pretty simple - money/fame are the very last things I want complicating my day to day life. That's a neverending train wreck, not a way to live.
Hey, is your username Koan in reference to the awesome electronic music group? I just learned about them last year and now it's all I listen to in my wood shop.
Hey, is your username Koan in reference to the awesome electronic music group? I just learned about them last year and now it's all I listen to in my wood shop.
That's awesome! I'm a programmer, but have an English degree and have always been drawn to creative writing. How long do you spend mapping out a novel and planning versus actually writing it? Do...
That's awesome! I'm a programmer, but have an English degree and have always been drawn to creative writing. How long do you spend mapping out a novel and planning versus actually writing it? Do you use any specific software to help with the job?
I'm quite younger than you (21) so I'm still niave and over optimistic. I'm in my third year of University and still trying everything I can get my hands on: graphic design, video editing, coding,...
I'm quite younger than you (21) so I'm still niave and over optimistic. I'm in my third year of University and still trying everything I can get my hands on: graphic design, video editing, coding, etc. If there was one thing you would recommend learning/reading what would it be?
What about help desk did you dislike so much?
Why do you recommend Linux Sysadmim?
What's it like? Are you concerned about the future of libraries? I say this as someone who's very annoyed that his university library is slowly being turned into a social space.
What's it like? Are you concerned about the future of libraries?
I say this as someone who's very annoyed that his university library is slowly being turned into a social space.
Usually when people ask if I'm concerned about the future of libraries, they're asking what use is a bookroom when computers are better for finding information. We're still here for people who...
Usually when people ask if I'm concerned about the future of libraries, they're asking what use is a bookroom when computers are better for finding information.
We're still here for people who need a place to be allowed safe and comfortable, with computer and book access. A handful of our patrons stay all day, every day. I don't think these functions are likely to be superseded in the way that libraries' reference function has been, especially since the library is free to use. In this sense libraries are one of the simplest and most generally applicable services, and I view a functioning public lending program as a pretty basic sign of community/municipal health.
Do you mind elaborating on what you're struggling with, or is it pretty personal? I suffer clinical depression and anxiety, and I recently lost a job because of it. It's a struggle trying to get...
Do you mind elaborating on what you're struggling with, or is it pretty personal? I suffer clinical depression and anxiety, and I recently lost a job because of it. It's a struggle trying to get out of bed some days, particular when I need to shave my face (I'm a woman).
Hi! I was not in IT when I was working. I haven't worked in 3 years. In 2015 a woman hit me with her car while I was walking and broke my right tibia. This year there were complications due to the...
Hi! I was not in IT when I was working. I haven't worked in 3 years.
In 2015 a woman hit me with her car while I was walking and broke my right tibia. This year there were complications due to the trauma, and my right leg was amputated above the knee. I am now at home permanently wondering what the hell I'm going to do with the rest of my life, lol.
Very sorry to hear that. I hope you are recovering well. If you have the mindset and the will you should consider programming. It's basically building real world stuff with text. It's a lot of fun...
Very sorry to hear that. I hope you are recovering well.
If you have the mindset and the will you should consider programming.
It's basically building real world stuff with text. It's a lot of fun when it goes right, and it'll have you ripping your hair out and punching the monitor when it goes wrong. It's great! :-D
Also, you can learn it from your sofa. I'd recommend languages like C# or Java to begin with.
Try this: https://mva.microsoft.com/en-us/training-courses/c-fundamentals-for-absolute-beginners-16169
I went back to college to switch careers at 38, now I'm very happy as a full time Java developer. If you find a good company the rates and work/life balance are Excellent. Also, you don't need legs.
Once you get enough experience you should be able to find remote work, so you can work from anywhere you want.
You can't beat that feeling when you spend a few weeks building something and it finally works as it should, it's really great. And you don't need as much maths as you'd think, if you can get up to algebra 1 on khanacademy you'll be fine. Even without that you'd probably be OK, but it definitely helps.
You should try a few beginner courses, and if you get the bug then look into doing a full time course of some sort if possible. Best decision I ever made. It took 3 years to get my degree, but I've doubled my salary since I started as a programmer 4 years ago, and my beginning salary was the same as my salary leaving my last career. It's a very challenging rewarding career.
Also, I aced my math class (failed the first two times) pretty much entirely based on the studying I did on khan academy. It's an excellent website.
Of course and thank you! There are many ups and downs to it and it wouldnt be so bad if management figrued their shit out, but what job isnt like that?
Of course and thank you! There are many ups and downs to it and it wouldnt be so bad if management figrued their shit out, but what job isnt like that?
I’m not even close to the tech industry. I work in various “helping professions”. I recently ended a job educating foster youth on independent living skills. I’m about to switch gears and begin...
I’m not even close to the tech industry. I work in various “helping professions”. I recently ended a job educating foster youth on independent living skills. I’m about to switch gears and begin working with younger kiddos as a day care aid.
I’ve just always been interested in online community-building and the people-driven internet, and try to stay on top of projects created in that spirit, which is why Tildes interested me.
Well, not with that attitude you won't. Don't sell yourself short just because the field is competitive. Sure it may seem like everyone and their dog is a security expert, but I can promise you...
Well, not with that attitude you won't. Don't sell yourself short just because the field is competitive. Sure it may seem like everyone and their dog is a security expert, but I can promise you that not everyone is a good security expert. As long as you are willing to put in the work necessary to build your skills I am certain you will be able to break out into the field.
Oh cool! I'm a university student currently studying CS, hoping to get into security work as well. Luckily because security is relatively advanced and has a lot to do with many other fields, my...
Oh cool! I'm a university student currently studying CS, hoping to get into security work as well. Luckily because security is relatively advanced and has a lot to do with many other fields, my thinking is if I aim for security and miss, I can still easily work as a network administrator or perhaps as an embedded programmer. Have you watched the YouTube channel Live Overflow? It's a great channel for hacking and pentesting type stuff. Very advanced, I personally don't understand quite a bit of what he does, but I've definitely gained some insight from following him for a few months. A big part of becoming good is practice and being curious / staying up to date, the more you do, the more ways you know something can be exploited and how to defend against them. I wish you good luck, if you're interested in the field, you'll already have a huge leg up on people just doing it for money :)
I'm an Endorsed Enrolled nurse in Australia. Currently working in aged care, my goal is to become a Registered nurse and specialise in mental health. I love my work, even that harder side of...
I'm an Endorsed Enrolled nurse in Australia. Currently working in aged care, my goal is to become a Registered nurse and specialise in mental health.
I love my work, even that harder side of things. The hardest part I've found is talking to families after their loved one has passed, that will never get any easier.
I've worked in aged care for 8 years this year, the last year and a half I have been a nurse. Before that I was a care assistant and that side of things had its own difficult parts. I found being a care assistant was far more emotional because you spend so much more time on such an intimate level with the residents, you see them at their most vulnerable and they tend to open up and talk about the worst things that happened in their lives (first time that happened was definitely shocking for me since I was helping with their shower)
The stories I've heard and sometimes read are absolutely amazing, some are tragic to the point I've not been able to speak when I get home and others have blown me away. One person I cared for told me about how they escaped Germany when Hitler was taking control, another was actually in his army. Then one tiny person told me they never wanted children so just up and traveled the world, their stories were amazing.
I should stop there or I'll never stop, writing this the memories are all flooding back.. if you would like to hear others I'm happy to share. I try to keep things are vague as possible when it comes to their personal details (even gender) just as it doesn't feel right, but I'm sure you can read between the lines with a few lol
I, for one, would love to hear more of these stories. It is always interesting to me to be able to see that fleeting glimpse of the life of someone whose life was vastly different than my own...
I, for one, would love to hear more of these stories. It is always interesting to me to be able to see that fleeting glimpse of the life of someone whose life was vastly different than my own through the retelling of their memories and stories.
Fantastic! I love telling what I can. I'll have to give genders with a few of the stories because it's kinda obvious anyway.. So one lady I cared for actually wrote a "story" of sorts before...
Fantastic! I love telling what I can.
I'll have to give genders with a few of the stories because it's kinda obvious anyway..
So one lady I cared for actually wrote a "story" of sorts before dementia took most of her memories, she grew up on a farm and cared for the baby animals that were sick, this gave her the drive to try for more. So she went into nursing school and became a midwife, it was about 6 years ago that I read her story and I wish I could remember the exact details. She ended up founding either a nursing school or was a co-founder and teacher.
Currently I am caring for a same sex couple, who found each other in the war. They have been together for something close to 50 years!
Naturally my mind has gone blank.. I promise to add to this comment or I'll directly message you as they come to mind
Me! I have formerly worked as a Business Analyst in IT, for about a decade (until a few years ago). But I've spent most of my working life in and around accounting & finance, which is the field...
Me! I have formerly worked as a Business Analyst in IT, for about a decade (until a few years ago). But I've spent most of my working life in and around accounting & finance, which is the field I'm working in at the moment.
And there was the five years in my late 20s that I spent working in fast food - up to and including owning my own store (independent, not associated with any franchise).
What kind of accounting and finance work do you do, and do you enjoy it more or less than your IT work? Also, I want to hear some of your stories from fast food. ;)
What kind of accounting and finance work do you do, and do you enjoy it more or less than your IT work? Also, I want to hear some of your stories from fast food. ;)
I am not in tech. I am an dietitian, and I like to keep up with online communities because any new way to disseminate ev-based nutrition info ist sehr gut.
I am not in tech. I am an dietitian, and I like to keep up with online communities because any new way to disseminate ev-based nutrition info ist sehr gut.
I am a Red Seal Certified (Canadian endorsement) Electrician, though currently I am undertaking what seems to be perpetual and oft-times inefficient training in the field of stay-at-home dad.
I am a Red Seal Certified (Canadian endorsement) Electrician, though currently I am undertaking what seems to be perpetual and oft-times inefficient training in the field of stay-at-home dad.
I too am a Stay at home dad, and let me tell you, nothing prepares you for the vast amount of poop. And johnny johnny videos... Dear God. The videos...
I too am a Stay at home dad, and let me tell you, nothing prepares you for the vast amount of poop.
And johnny johnny videos... Dear God. The videos...
I run my own business, but I didn't start it. My uncle started it in 1983, but he'd had businesses long before that. He was a very successful roofing contractor, who opened a business to supply...
I run my own business, but I didn't start it. My uncle started it in 1983, but he'd had businesses long before that. He was a very successful roofing contractor, who opened a business to supply his contracting business as a tax shelter. My dad took it over, turned it into a successful retail business, got sick and passed it on to me. I had exactly two weeks training. He just called me one day and said "if you want this business, get over here. I'm going into the hospital in two weeks, and I don't expect to be back."
I "trained" with him for those two weeks, which actually ended up being ten days. He went into the hospital, got treated for AML (acute myeloid leukemia, almost the worst kind), had nine months of remission, and then died. I was left holding the reins. I had done almost 20 years in retail, but running my own business was extremely new.
I'm fourteen seasons into it now, and it's relatively comfortable. I generate a good income, but my competition is fierce. There's a constant price war in my area, where there's none just a few tens of miles away. It's driven by one company that's always trying to undercut everyone else, but that's capitalism.
Ooh, I'm not in tech. I work at a university, putting together the chemistry department's curriculum. I save the getting-furious-at-ancient-hardware for weekends, when nobody pays me to do it....
Ooh, I'm not in tech. I work at a university, putting together the chemistry department's curriculum. I save the getting-furious-at-ancient-hardware for weekends, when nobody pays me to do it. ...shit.
I'm a mechanical engineer but I've been doing hobby software development stuff for about 8 years. I'm definitely more interested in software but that's probably because it's a hobby and I don't...
I'm a mechanical engineer but I've been doing hobby software development stuff for about 8 years. I'm definitely more interested in software but that's probably because it's a hobby and I don't have a boss when I'm working on my own projects. If I was employed in a software development role, I would probably do mechanical design stuff in my spare time.
When I finished secondary education, I spent two years learning programming by myself. Then I got my first job, and understood that I'm not a 9-5 person, that I'm incredibly stingy when it comes...
When I finished secondary education, I spent two years learning programming by myself. Then I got my first job, and understood that I'm not a 9-5 person, that I'm incredibly stingy when it comes to sharing my time, even when I'm paid to do so. Coincidentally, at the same time I discovered philosophy, and then went on to switch my focus to literature instead (which as a kid and as a high school student I've always liked anyways). I still retain my programming knowledge and use it in the form of tweaking my Emacs config and running Debian on my laptop like a true haxor (and a bit more), but I've recently graduated as a BA in philology, and am attempting to switch to linguistics for my MA. I want to become a researcher in this field. I'm also interested in writing, and will probably do some translation in the near future for some time in order to feed myself.
Well, yeah :) I did use Arch for a long time (some years), with my custom X setup and mostly with VTWM (but I tried for various periods Xmonad, i3, EXWM, dwm), but at the end I found out that I...
Well, yeah :)
I did use Arch for a long time (some years), with my custom X setup and mostly with VTWM (but I tried for various periods Xmonad, i3, EXWM, dwm), but at the end I found out that I wanted something like xubuntu where I can trade some control off for spending less time configuring and maintaining. But Debian stable, albeit some software is a bit stale, especially Firefox for me, is many times better than anything Ubuntu, which can't even suspend/resume reliably.
I will, though, try Manjaro w/ XFCE when I'll have time. I actually like Arch linux. For me, the comparison goes like this ideally: (Free/Open)BSD > Arch > Debian.
It's a very coherent system, and your basic toolset when working with data on command line or when you're fixing something on the TTY (i.e. not X.org, IDK the exact term), it's a pleasure to work...
It's a very coherent system, and your basic toolset when working with data on command line or when you're fixing something on the TTY (i.e. not X.org, IDK the exact term), it's a pleasure to work with. An example is that ^T on the terminal universally in all BSD commands report progress. Say when you're running dd(1) and you forgot to pv file | dd ..., you can hit ^T (Ctrl + T) and get a progress report, the equivalent of what you get with SIGUSR1 or SIGUSR2 (not sure) on GNU dd, but with a keybinding, and the keybinding works similarly for say also cp(1), and any other command in the BSD base system. I also like the ports system which makes it easier to personalise software (Arch gets closer to that than Debian), and how it makes a very clear distinction between system bins/config (/bin, /usr/bin, /etc, ...) and package config (/usr/local/bin, /usr/local/etc). The documentation is just superior. The only problem for me was getting suspend/resume with X working. I was never able to do that. Or else I'd never look back. FreeBSD doesn't have the facilities, and OpenBSD does not support my wireless card. I intended to translate the linux driver over, but unfortunately I'm not knowledgable enough to do that.
Certainly does. :) I have done two of those (sort of) just this week and one upcoming. Shiny electrum ring and not quite finished shiny coin (needs some tidying up first). The coin had been given...
Certainly does. :) I have done two of those (sort of) just this week and one upcoming. Shiny electrum ring and not quite finished shiny coin (needs some tidying up first). The coin had been given as a gift to the person I made the ring for, I chopped some off to melt down to go into his ring.
I've got a gilding job on today/tomorrow and I often look like I've been making glitter if I'm gilding, because when you brush the excess metal leaf off it tends to form little glittery pieces which float around and get stuck to your clothes/hair/etc. Usually pure silver or gold though, which is pretty high-end glitter..
Although I'm currently out of work for personal reasons, IT support is (and likely always will be) my thing. Call it insanity but I actually really enjoy that style of work, and the feeling of...
Although I'm currently out of work for personal reasons, IT support is (and likely always will be) my thing. Call it insanity but I actually really enjoy that style of work, and the feeling of helping people out. Obviously I realise it's thankless much of the time, but that doesn't really bother me.
I'm a strong believer in playing with new tech and learning things the hands-on way, whatever rabbit holes it may lead down
Not working at the moment, I'm lucky enough that I only work a short job teaching summer school sometimes. Otherwise I'm a student and I'm on my way to becoming a high school English teacher.
Not working at the moment, I'm lucky enough that I only work a short job teaching summer school sometimes. Otherwise I'm a student and I'm on my way to becoming a high school English teacher.
First job out of college as a chemistry lab tech in a tech startup, been here for a year. Can't say too much, but my major was in biochemistry but the work is a lot of pymer chemistry so I've...
First job out of college as a chemistry lab tech in a tech startup, been here for a year. Can't say too much, but my major was in biochemistry but the work is a lot of pymer chemistry so I've learned quite a bit
I'm a med student in an european country. Almost midway my education road, something like 4-5 years in. Hoping to hit it big someday, or at least big enough to survive every month without thinking...
I'm a med student in an european country. Almost midway my education road, something like 4-5 years in. Hoping to hit it big someday, or at least big enough to survive every month without thinking about budgeting every single cent I earn.
Currently searching for a room to rent and a job that gives me enough free time to keep studying. The last money I earned went directly to my father because he can't even afford to pay a lawyer that he needs because my not-so-former-alcoholic mother is trying to do a marital separation against him (don't really know if those are the correct words to use).
So my life's pretty crappy right now, but I'll get used to it.
Joined Tildes because Reddit is slowing becoming not Reddit. I really hope after Tildes gets out of the alpha state it'll get popular. The only isssue I find with it is that my keyboard doesn't have the tilde sign :(
I've been unemployed for the last 5 years and probably won't work again. However, when I was working, I was doing electronic design or software programming/testing. So I guess that's tech, even if...
I've been unemployed for the last 5 years and probably won't work again.
However, when I was working, I was doing electronic design or software programming/testing. So I guess that's tech, even if it was not in the sense of Silicon Valley / web / startup bullshit.
Produce manager at a grocery store here. I'm surprised I haven't seen any other retail folks around here yet. I do dabble in tech as a hobby though, so I guess there's no escaping that here. I've...
Produce manager at a grocery store here. I'm surprised I haven't seen any other retail folks around here yet.
I do dabble in tech as a hobby though, so I guess there's no escaping that here. I've been considering switching over to it as a career, but I don't want to ruin my enjoyment of it by making it a paid career. It might sound crazy, but I have an ethical issue with using my passions in the service of capitalism-- my joy should not be subject to what makes me money, and I shouldn't have to sacrifice them on the altar of economic productivity.
Oh yeah, I'd say that maybe a quarter of my time is spent doing the paperwork/managerial side of things, the rest is on the floor stocking, culling, pulling orders, breaking loads, and all the...
Oh yeah, I'd say that maybe a quarter of my time is spent doing the paperwork/managerial side of things, the rest is on the floor stocking, culling, pulling orders, breaking loads, and all the physical side just like when I was a clerk.
Honestly, I prefer it that way, I've gone stir crazy at every office job or non-physical job I've ever had, the thought of being chained to a desk all day is anathema to me, even if it pays better. Ethical qualms aside, my ADHD makes blue-collar type work much more manageable for me.
I'm a copywriter. Worked in publishing for close to 10 years before this. I enjoyed publishing more, but copywriting let me move to a city where I don't have to spend 30% of my paycheck on rent, so...
I'm a copywriter. Worked in publishing for close to 10 years before this. I enjoyed publishing more, but copywriting let me move to a city where I don't have to spend 30% of my paycheck on rent, so...
I'm a math major and both my current (part-time) jobs basically just revolve around tutoring math so I'm not really in tech and to be quite honest I don't think I'd be suited to a career in tech...
I'm a math major and both my current (part-time) jobs basically just revolve around tutoring math so I'm not really in tech and to be quite honest I don't think I'd be suited to a career in tech either.
I do accounting for an IT company. I always feel a little dumb in our meetings because I'm not very tech savvy and a lot of it goes over my head. But hey, I bet none of them know what a P&L is so...
I do accounting for an IT company. I always feel a little dumb in our meetings because I'm not very tech savvy and a lot of it goes over my head. But hey, I bet none of them know what a P&L is so I've got that going for me.
I work in healthcare, and the tech is only about a third of my job, of the "build a solution for exotic problem" nature. The rest is project management, running among the business and healthcare...
I work in healthcare, and the tech is only about a third of my job, of the "build a solution for exotic problem" nature. The rest is project management, running among the business and healthcare bits, gathering requirements, budgeting, and interfacing with external customers and the internal tech departments.
I'm trying to get back to an engineering role, because it's a much better fit for what I'm actually good at and my prickly, misanthropic temperament. Project management is one of those tech ghettos for women that we get shoved into because the guys who can do "social" get promoted out of tech roles altogether.
Construction worker, glassblower, mix media artist, been learning videography. Kind of a jack of quite-a-few trades, so I guess tech is some of it, but I don't usually make money off of tech stuff.
Construction worker, glassblower, mix media artist, been learning videography. Kind of a jack of quite-a-few trades, so I guess tech is some of it, but I don't usually make money off of tech stuff.
I actually want to be in tech. I used to work a relatively high income stressful job in business, but at one point I decided I had had enough of meeting targets all day and the associated stress....
I actually want to be in tech. I used to work a relatively high income stressful job in business, but at one point I decided I had had enough of meeting targets all day and the associated stress. The income was nice, the work not so much. I've saved up enough to be able to switch careers, and technology has a certain appeal for me.
I used to work in IT. Got really burned out due to middle mismanagement and overall Nonsense & Bullshit (tm). Been making webcomics for a little over 10 years now. Financially it has its ups and...
I used to work in IT. Got really burned out due to middle mismanagement and overall Nonsense & Bullshit (tm). Been making webcomics for a little over 10 years now. Financially it has its ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Art student. Statistically speaking, I have about a 2% chance to make a living as an artist one day. With a median income of 14.000€ per year.
But hey, it's better than a 0% chance of being an artist.
Thank you, I will.
I'm living proof that it's doable, man. One of the big problems with artists making money after they graduate is that art schools (generally) don't teach artists how to be financially responsible and successful. The worst is the whole "you'd better have a back-up plan" attitude of most every art instructor I've ever known.
It might take you awhile. It might take you years. You may have to start and stop a number of art styles or art-related businesses. But it isn't impossible to make a living from your art.
Thank you. It's good when people farther ahead give on their experience.
We're not being thaught that either, but I have some artists around me that are very organized. So I figured I'll have to learn that, too.
I'm developing a kind of side-plan right now, but it's art-related and something that hopefully won't impede my art and art-making.
Yeah, being patient. Besides my ego, I don't have a plan to make any big breaks in the next years.. I'm constantly reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Anywhere I can look at your work? Have a nice day :)
An art-related side hustle is a great idea. It not only solves the problem of "how am I gonna pay the bills", but every piece of art you make just adds to your experience and toolbox. I've got a couple regular clients and commissioners who I do work for, and the work I do for them is good at testing my skills and pulling me out of my comfort zone when needed. Plus: money!
Also: a lot of artists never make it because they just want to remove their Day Job and replace it with their Art Job. At the start, that's not always doable. You can't just unplug one from your life and plug another one into the exact same slot. You're gonna have to shuffle some other stuff around to make it fit. A Day Job's a simple thing to build a life around because you're not the one making any of the big decisions. Your boss is.
Being a freelance artist means you gotta be both the Show and the Business, as James Brown used to say. So you've gotta give a hard eyeball to your finances and expenses and cut out the fluff. And if you've got a Day Job, you've probably got a fair amount of fluff: things you spend your money on to make that Day Job Lifestyle a little more bearable. And you might have to make some difficult decisions, at least at first. Do you want Starbucks every day or do you want to be your own boss, making a living off the art from your own two hands? It's a good feeling when you start regularly paying your bills from nothing more than the art you create. Cutting Netflix (or whatever) out of your life (even for awhile) is a small price to pay.
Reduce your expenses! That's the big one. Don't spend a dime where you don't have to. At least at first. Everyone who's ever opened their first shop or restaurant has had to make sacrifices here and there until the business turned a profit, and artists aren't exempt from that.
I hope that helps and good luck to you and anyone else ready to be a full-time artist!
As for my art, most of it's at http://locuscomics.com. Start at the bottom and read your way up. It's mildly NSFW due to the Monsters & Nekkid People. :)
On one hand, I'm not on top of my finances. But on the other I have been living quite frugally for years now and focusing on art. I know where my priorities are when push comes to shove.
This year will be first year where a big part of my expenses has come from art sales. I might even be able to pay back some debts.
I'll keep your advice on expenses in mind though. Thank you for this.
Sounds to me like you're well on your way, then! Good luck!
What mediums do you enjoy working with?
Right now I almost exclusively work in oils, and drawing of course. I mostly do realistic portraits of people. But in the last years I also started having some more conceptual ideas, less focused on painting.
Can you give an example of a 'pulp novel'? I'm aware of thrillers, crime and romance novels but couldn't put my finger on pulp exactly.
I've been reading Lee Child's Reacher series. The basic formula is there in every book, but the way the plot unfolds can still surprise me. And each book reveals a little more of Reacher's backstory and personal development - which isn't much but it's there. It's comforting, easy stuff which I use as a snack/break in between tougher stuff.
Do you share some of your work under this name or do you keep your Tildes identity separate from your professional one? How did you get started? How did you teach yourself? Do you look for feedback while you're writing or do you take a more solitary, isolated approach? Are you tired of my questions yet?
If I ever get around to writing anything more than outlines and rough sketches, I'd likely go this route myself. For me it's pretty simple - money/fame are the very last things I want complicating my day to day life. That's a neverending train wreck, not a way to live.
Hey, is your username Koan in reference to the awesome electronic music group? I just learned about them last year and now it's all I listen to in my wood shop.
Very likely where their name comes from, I'm guessing. Cool!
That's awesome! I'm a programmer, but have an English degree and have always been drawn to creative writing. How long do you spend mapping out a novel and planning versus actually writing it? Do you use any specific software to help with the job?
I'm currently in school studying IT. Any tips for someone about to graduate? Maybe what to and what not to put on a resume?
I'm quite younger than you (21) so I'm still niave and over optimistic. I'm in my third year of University and still trying everything I can get my hands on: graphic design, video editing, coding, etc. If there was one thing you would recommend learning/reading what would it be?
What about help desk did you dislike so much?
Why do you recommend Linux Sysadmim?
I appreciate all the advice.
I'm a librarian
What's it like? Are you concerned about the future of libraries?
I say this as someone who's very annoyed that his university library is slowly being turned into a social space.
Usually when people ask if I'm concerned about the future of libraries, they're asking what use is a bookroom when computers are better for finding information.
We're still here for people who need a place to be allowed safe and comfortable, with computer and book access. A handful of our patrons stay all day, every day. I don't think these functions are likely to be superseded in the way that libraries' reference function has been, especially since the library is free to use. In this sense libraries are one of the simplest and most generally applicable services, and I view a functioning public lending program as a pretty basic sign of community/municipal health.
Do you mind elaborating on what you're struggling with, or is it pretty personal? I suffer clinical depression and anxiety, and I recently lost a job because of it. It's a struggle trying to get out of bed some days, particular when I need to shave my face (I'm a woman).
Ouch, that really sucks. Sorry to hear you're dealing with that. Has your insurance relented any?
Hi! I was not in IT when I was working. I haven't worked in 3 years.
In 2015 a woman hit me with her car while I was walking and broke my right tibia. This year there were complications due to the trauma, and my right leg was amputated above the knee. I am now at home permanently wondering what the hell I'm going to do with the rest of my life, lol.
Happy to be here, though!
Very sorry to hear that. I hope you are recovering well.
If you have the mindset and the will you should consider programming.
It's basically building real world stuff with text. It's a lot of fun when it goes right, and it'll have you ripping your hair out and punching the monitor when it goes wrong. It's great! :-D
Also, you can learn it from your sofa. I'd recommend languages like C# or Java to begin with.
Try this: https://mva.microsoft.com/en-us/training-courses/c-fundamentals-for-absolute-beginners-16169
I went back to college to switch careers at 38, now I'm very happy as a full time Java developer. If you find a good company the rates and work/life balance are Excellent. Also, you don't need legs.
Once you get enough experience you should be able to find remote work, so you can work from anywhere you want.
You can't beat that feeling when you spend a few weeks building something and it finally works as it should, it's really great. And you don't need as much maths as you'd think, if you can get up to algebra 1 on khanacademy you'll be fine. Even without that you'd probably be OK, but it definitely helps.
You should try a few beginner courses, and if you get the bug then look into doing a full time course of some sort if possible. Best decision I ever made. It took 3 years to get my degree, but I've doubled my salary since I started as a programmer 4 years ago, and my beginning salary was the same as my salary leaving my last career. It's a very challenging rewarding career.
Also, I aced my math class (failed the first two times) pretty much entirely based on the studying I did on khan academy. It's an excellent website.
Damn. Hope you find something!
Me. I’m an expert witness and fraud investigator. I did mod on reddit though.
I’m a financial expert witness. So I value damages in litigation.
I'm a rural postal carrier! I dislike it 50% of the time.
Of course and thank you! There are many ups and downs to it and it wouldnt be so bad if management figrued their shit out, but what job isnt like that?
When has management ever figured their shit out? 🙄
I’m not even close to the tech industry. I work in various “helping professions”. I recently ended a job educating foster youth on independent living skills. I’m about to switch gears and begin working with younger kiddos as a day care aid.
I’ve just always been interested in online community-building and the people-driven internet, and try to stay on top of projects created in that spirit, which is why Tildes interested me.
I do shite all, I'm a kid. But I'm hoping to get into the tech industry one day.
What field?
I dunno, I'm hoping to be able to work in security, but that's a really competitive field, and I doubt I'll be able to get the skills for it.
Well, not with that attitude you won't. Don't sell yourself short just because the field is competitive. Sure it may seem like everyone and their dog is a security expert, but I can promise you that not everyone is a good security expert. As long as you are willing to put in the work necessary to build your skills I am certain you will be able to break out into the field.
Thanks for the support. I'm generally not too sure though, and if I'm honest, I dunno what to do. I'll try, and thanks!
thank you!!
The book "Penetration Testing" from No Starch Press got me started. Have at it friend :D
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it ou!t
Oh cool! I'm a university student currently studying CS, hoping to get into security work as well. Luckily because security is relatively advanced and has a lot to do with many other fields, my thinking is if I aim for security and miss, I can still easily work as a network administrator or perhaps as an embedded programmer. Have you watched the YouTube channel Live Overflow? It's a great channel for hacking and pentesting type stuff. Very advanced, I personally don't understand quite a bit of what he does, but I've definitely gained some insight from following him for a few months. A big part of becoming good is practice and being curious / staying up to date, the more you do, the more ways you know something can be exploited and how to defend against them. I wish you good luck, if you're interested in the field, you'll already have a huge leg up on people just doing it for money :)
thanks, and best of luck!
I'm an Endorsed Enrolled nurse in Australia. Currently working in aged care, my goal is to become a Registered nurse and specialise in mental health.
I love my work, even that harder side of things. The hardest part I've found is talking to families after their loved one has passed, that will never get any easier.
I've worked in aged care for 8 years this year, the last year and a half I have been a nurse. Before that I was a care assistant and that side of things had its own difficult parts. I found being a care assistant was far more emotional because you spend so much more time on such an intimate level with the residents, you see them at their most vulnerable and they tend to open up and talk about the worst things that happened in their lives (first time that happened was definitely shocking for me since I was helping with their shower)
The stories I've heard and sometimes read are absolutely amazing, some are tragic to the point I've not been able to speak when I get home and others have blown me away. One person I cared for told me about how they escaped Germany when Hitler was taking control, another was actually in his army. Then one tiny person told me they never wanted children so just up and traveled the world, their stories were amazing.
I should stop there or I'll never stop, writing this the memories are all flooding back.. if you would like to hear others I'm happy to share. I try to keep things are vague as possible when it comes to their personal details (even gender) just as it doesn't feel right, but I'm sure you can read between the lines with a few lol
I, for one, would love to hear more of these stories. It is always interesting to me to be able to see that fleeting glimpse of the life of someone whose life was vastly different than my own through the retelling of their memories and stories.
Fantastic! I love telling what I can.
I'll have to give genders with a few of the stories because it's kinda obvious anyway..
So one lady I cared for actually wrote a "story" of sorts before dementia took most of her memories, she grew up on a farm and cared for the baby animals that were sick, this gave her the drive to try for more. So she went into nursing school and became a midwife, it was about 6 years ago that I read her story and I wish I could remember the exact details. She ended up founding either a nursing school or was a co-founder and teacher.
Currently I am caring for a same sex couple, who found each other in the war. They have been together for something close to 50 years!
Naturally my mind has gone blank.. I promise to add to this comment or I'll directly message you as they come to mind
Well, i don't "work" in tech, but i study programming and management of computers
Me! I have formerly worked as a Business Analyst in IT, for about a decade (until a few years ago). But I've spent most of my working life in and around accounting & finance, which is the field I'm working in at the moment.
And there was the five years in my late 20s that I spent working in fast food - up to and including owning my own store (independent, not associated with any franchise).
What kind of accounting and finance work do you do, and do you enjoy it more or less than your IT work? Also, I want to hear some of your stories from fast food. ;)
I am not in tech. I am an dietitian, and I like to keep up with online communities because any new way to disseminate ev-based nutrition info ist sehr gut.
I'm a marine biologist who teaches kids at an aquarium and goes to schools to teach special classes for them.
That's pretty cool! Is teaching your primary responsibility, or do you do other work at the aquarium?
Primary. I also do program development but my main job is outreach education.
I am a Red Seal Certified (Canadian endorsement) Electrician, though currently I am undertaking what seems to be perpetual and oft-times inefficient training in the field of stay-at-home dad.
I too am a Stay at home dad, and let me tell you, nothing prepares you for the vast amount of poop.
And johnny johnny videos... Dear God. The videos...
Johnny Johnny
Please no...
I run my own business, but I didn't start it. My uncle started it in 1983, but he'd had businesses long before that. He was a very successful roofing contractor, who opened a business to supply his contracting business as a tax shelter. My dad took it over, turned it into a successful retail business, got sick and passed it on to me. I had exactly two weeks training. He just called me one day and said "if you want this business, get over here. I'm going into the hospital in two weeks, and I don't expect to be back."
I "trained" with him for those two weeks, which actually ended up being ten days. He went into the hospital, got treated for AML (acute myeloid leukemia, almost the worst kind), had nine months of remission, and then died. I was left holding the reins. I had done almost 20 years in retail, but running my own business was extremely new.
I'm fourteen seasons into it now, and it's relatively comfortable. I generate a good income, but my competition is fierce. There's a constant price war in my area, where there's none just a few tens of miles away. It's driven by one company that's always trying to undercut everyone else, but that's capitalism.
What're you researching these days, or can you talk about it?
That would be really cool! Maybe on ~science? Not that I'd understand much of it. ×_×
Ooh, I'm not in tech. I work at a university, putting together the chemistry department's curriculum. I save the getting-furious-at-ancient-hardware for weekends, when nobody pays me to do it. ...shit.
I'm a mechanical engineer but I've been doing hobby software development stuff for about 8 years. I'm definitely more interested in software but that's probably because it's a hobby and I don't have a boss when I'm working on my own projects. If I was employed in a software development role, I would probably do mechanical design stuff in my spare time.
When I finished secondary education, I spent two years learning programming by myself. Then I got my first job, and understood that I'm not a 9-5 person, that I'm incredibly stingy when it comes to sharing my time, even when I'm paid to do so. Coincidentally, at the same time I discovered philosophy, and then went on to switch my focus to literature instead (which as a kid and as a high school student I've always liked anyways). I still retain my programming knowledge and use it in the form of tweaking my Emacs config and running Debian on my laptop like a true haxor (and a bit more), but I've recently graduated as a BA in philology, and am attempting to switch to linguistics for my MA. I want to become a researcher in this field. I'm also interested in writing, and will probably do some translation in the near future for some time in order to feed myself.
True haxors use Arch Linux. ;)
Well, yeah :)
I did use Arch for a long time (some years), with my custom X setup and mostly with VTWM (but I tried for various periods Xmonad, i3, EXWM, dwm), but at the end I found out that I wanted something like xubuntu where I can trade some control off for spending less time configuring and maintaining. But Debian stable, albeit some software is a bit stale, especially Firefox for me, is many times better than anything Ubuntu, which can't even suspend/resume reliably.
I will, though, try Manjaro w/ XFCE when I'll have time. I actually like Arch linux. For me, the comparison goes like this ideally: (Free/Open)BSD > Arch > Debian.
I've never actually tried a BSD out before. What do you like about it over Linux?
It's a very coherent system, and your basic toolset when working with data on command line or when you're fixing something on the TTY (i.e. not X.org, IDK the exact term), it's a pleasure to work with. An example is that ^T on the terminal universally in all BSD commands report progress. Say when you're running dd(1) and you forgot to
pv file | dd ..., you can hit ^T (Ctrl + T) and get a progress report, the equivalent of what you get with SIGUSR1 or SIGUSR2 (not sure) on GNU dd, but with a keybinding, and the keybinding works similarly for say also cp(1), and any other command in the BSD base system. I also like the ports system which makes it easier to personalise software (Arch gets closer to that than Debian), and how it makes a very clear distinction between system bins/config (/bin, /usr/bin, /etc, ...) and package config (/usr/local/bin, /usr/local/etc). The documentation is just superior. The only problem for me was getting suspend/resume with X working. I was never able to do that. Or else I'd never look back. FreeBSD doesn't have the facilities, and OpenBSD does not support my wireless card. I intended to translate the linux driver over, but unfortunately I'm not knowledgable enough to do that.I used to be a sysadmin/devops/programming kind of guy but these days I make small shiny objects (and sometimes large objects too, if people ask)
"Small shiny objects" covers anything from jewellery to coins to glitter. :)
Certainly does. :) I have done two of those (sort of) just this week and one upcoming. Shiny electrum ring and not quite finished shiny coin (needs some tidying up first). The coin had been given as a gift to the person I made the ring for, I chopped some off to melt down to go into his ring.
I've got a gilding job on today/tomorrow and I often look like I've been making glitter if I'm gilding, because when you brush the excess metal leaf off it tends to form little glittery pieces which float around and get stuck to your clothes/hair/etc. Usually pure silver or gold though, which is pretty high-end glitter..
I make pizzas. It seems like I'm the only one here doing any kind of menial work
Undervalued and thankless perhaps, but not menial! And your work being undervalued, this is an indictment on us the society.
Although I'm currently out of work for personal reasons, IT support is (and likely always will be) my thing. Call it insanity but I actually really enjoy that style of work, and the feeling of helping people out. Obviously I realise it's thankless much of the time, but that doesn't really bother me.
I'm a strong believer in playing with new tech and learning things the hands-on way, whatever rabbit holes it may lead down
Not working at the moment, I'm lucky enough that I only work a short job teaching summer school sometimes. Otherwise I'm a student and I'm on my way to becoming a high school English teacher.
I work in communications, hard to get away from tech though.
Same here - engineer at a radio station and podcast producer. I think of it as working with tech, not in tech.
First job out of college as a chemistry lab tech in a tech startup, been here for a year. Can't say too much, but my major was in biochemistry but the work is a lot of pymer chemistry so I've learned quite a bit
I know some CSS and I own a copy of RPG Maker.
I don't work in the tech industry, but information technology is indispensable for my work. I'm a researcher.
I'm a med student in an european country. Almost midway my education road, something like 4-5 years in. Hoping to hit it big someday, or at least big enough to survive every month without thinking about budgeting every single cent I earn.
Currently searching for a room to rent and a job that gives me enough free time to keep studying. The last money I earned went directly to my father because he can't even afford to pay a lawyer that he needs because my not-so-former-alcoholic mother is trying to do a marital separation against him (don't really know if those are the correct words to use).
So my life's pretty crappy right now, but I'll get used to it.
Joined Tildes because Reddit is slowing becoming not Reddit. I really hope after Tildes gets out of the alpha state it'll get popular. The only isssue I find with it is that my keyboard doesn't have the tilde sign :(
I've been unemployed for the last 5 years and probably won't work again.
However, when I was working, I was doing electronic design or software programming/testing. So I guess that's tech, even if it was not in the sense of Silicon Valley / web / startup bullshit.
I'm a registered massage therapist, and have been for 26 years.
Produce manager at a grocery store here. I'm surprised I haven't seen any other retail folks around here yet.
I do dabble in tech as a hobby though, so I guess there's no escaping that here. I've been considering switching over to it as a career, but I don't want to ruin my enjoyment of it by making it a paid career. It might sound crazy, but I have an ethical issue with using my passions in the service of capitalism-- my joy should not be subject to what makes me money, and I shouldn't have to sacrifice them on the altar of economic productivity.
Oh yeah, I'd say that maybe a quarter of my time is spent doing the paperwork/managerial side of things, the rest is on the floor stocking, culling, pulling orders, breaking loads, and all the physical side just like when I was a clerk.
Honestly, I prefer it that way, I've gone stir crazy at every office job or non-physical job I've ever had, the thought of being chained to a desk all day is anathema to me, even if it pays better. Ethical qualms aside, my ADHD makes blue-collar type work much more manageable for me.
I'm a copywriter. Worked in publishing for close to 10 years before this. I enjoyed publishing more, but copywriting let me move to a city where I don't have to spend 30% of my paycheck on rent, so...
What do you do now?
I’m only doing it on the side while I finish my undergrad. I don’t really identify myself as a tech worker.
I'm a math major and both my current (part-time) jobs basically just revolve around tutoring math so I'm not really in tech and to be quite honest I don't think I'd be suited to a career in tech either.
I'm still just a student. No job yet. I was going to work at a summer camp next summer though.
I do accounting for an IT company. I always feel a little dumb in our meetings because I'm not very tech savvy and a lot of it goes over my head. But hey, I bet none of them know what a P&L is so I've got that going for me.
I work in healthcare, and the tech is only about a third of my job, of the "build a solution for exotic problem" nature. The rest is project management, running among the business and healthcare bits, gathering requirements, budgeting, and interfacing with external customers and the internal tech departments.
I'm trying to get back to an engineering role, because it's a much better fit for what I'm actually good at and my prickly, misanthropic temperament. Project management is one of those tech ghettos for women that we get shoved into because the guys who can do "social" get promoted out of tech roles altogether.
law student here 🔨
Construction worker, glassblower, mix media artist, been learning videography. Kind of a jack of quite-a-few trades, so I guess tech is some of it, but I don't usually make money off of tech stuff.
I actually want to be in tech. I used to work a relatively high income stressful job in business, but at one point I decided I had had enough of meeting targets all day and the associated stress. The income was nice, the work not so much. I've saved up enough to be able to switch careers, and technology has a certain appeal for me.
I used to work in IT. Got really burned out due to middle mismanagement and overall Nonsense & Bullshit (tm). Been making webcomics for a little over 10 years now. Financially it has its ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I work in the planning department for a local government in america.