You Don’t Have to be Broke to be an Artist

“Oh, so you’re an actor? But like, what’s your real job?”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been asked that question. If we were in a filled room at Ripley Grier Studios for a national tour call, I can almost guarantee that every sweaty hand would be raised.

There is a toxic perception that the outside world has of artists and performers and that perception is that of a broke, struggling artist living with 5 roommates in New York City working as a server at a restaurant downtown. The unfortunate truth is that this is true for many performers. How do I know this? It was my reality for my first two years in New York, too.

There’s an equally toxic perception among the performers themselves and that’s this question: “What are you working on right now?”

There is pressure to be always “on” and taking expensive classes in the city all while auditioning from 5 am to 5 pm, running off to one of your “survival jobs” and at the end of the day, you are in fact barely doing just that: surviving. It is glamorized to get no sleep and barely pay your bills in the world of performers.

In fact, if you ever get a job that takes you away a little bit from the audition cycle, you are looked at with disdain as everyone else secretly whispers that it was “too hard for her, she’s not even auditioning anymore.”

Honestly, thank God for the lockdown of 2020 because I think that it transformed the way that so many of us in the acting scene in New York were living.

Here’s the thing, I did quit acting. And the day that I tossed my headshots and resumes into the recycling bin in the basement of my apartment building, I felt a huge weight lift off of my shoulders.

I Quit Acting

I had 5 jobs at one point: a nanny, substitute teacher, hostess, temporary receptionist, and caterer.

I would literally wake up at 5 am, rush to some school on the lower east side, hand out worksheets to kids, head to Union Square, buy a dollar slice of pizza and a coffee, take a quick nap on a park bench, and then go work as a hostess from 4 pm to midnight. On other days, I would work as a receptionist and then rush to pick up the kids from school to dance class, and then cater some ritzy event until 2 am.

I would go on dates just to get a free meal and a beer out of it because I was living off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a can of beans at home.

My take-home pay was barely enough to cover rent, groceries, dance, and acting classes. So, I discovered the glory of credit cards.

On top of all of this, I was expected to show up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed to some audition only to have wasted my morning away because they were typing out at 10 am. If you’re not an actor, typing out means selecting someone’s worthiness to even be seen at the audition by how they look and what credits were listed on their resume.

I lived like this from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2017. I was desperately unhappy but I had no way of sharing this with anyone because we were all supposed to just love New York and be so thankful that we even have the opportunity to audition for a $250 per week non-equity national tour.

In 2017, I literally recycled my headshots and resumes, applied to grad school to be a Spanish teacher, and worked part-time in public relations. I had also started seeing someone in January that year and he radically transformed the way that I looked at my career options.

The Example My Husband Set

My husband is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known. I am so lucky to have found a man that sees my potential and encourages me to chase my goals with fervor.

His passion is photography and film. In fact, that was his pickup line. When we met, he discovered that I was an actor and he said, “Maybe I can take your picture sometime. Actors always need pictures!”

While he’s passionate about photography and film, he also works full-time in advertising. He is passionate about the industry and is lucky enough to actually enjoy the work that he does. But he also vigorously chases after opportunities to shoot anything and everything every chance he gets.

I can’t tell you the number of Saturdays we’ve woken up early just to film a music video or help someone with their headshots. The Sunday mornings we spent in Washington Square Park trying to sell his photography.

The more time that I’ve spent with him, the more I’ve begun to think that he’s doing this the right way.

He has been able to make a steady income and also pursue his passion on nights and weekends. He is happy and satisfied.

So, that’s what I started doing. Instead of changing my career and going to grad school, I started working full time and pursuing my art on the side. I also discovered that while I do enjoy acting, music and writing is my real passion.

How My Life Has Changed

Don’t get me wrong, work-life balance is a real thing and it’s something that I struggle with quite often. But with my full-time job, I know where my money is coming from which creates the space for me to be truly creative.

I wake up every day at 5 am to write a blog, noodle on new lyric ideas, write a short story, or film content for social media. I stay up late dreaming and writing. Pre-lockdown, I would go to shows and network and meet people. I hope to do that again soon.

So many people in my life questioned my passion for music and performing when I moved into a full-time role. But I can’t not be an artist — even if I tried. It’s part of who God made me to be. I hear songs in the silence, I love sharing stories, singing is in my blood.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be a successful singer/songwriter or if my blog will ever make any income. I might never get over 100 likes on a social media post. But I know I will always be an artist because I will never cease to create.

Since getting a job and pursuing my craft on the side, I have felt so much happier and so much more at peace with myself. It’s more than a side hustle, it’s my passion. But it’s also supported by my ability to make a salary that I know is consistent.

I can cook real food instead of living off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and canned beans. I’ve been able to pay off my debt and build up a savings account. I can afford to record my music or fly to Nashville for a co-write. My life has radically been changed for the better.

Other Ways to Make Money

I know that this journey isn’t for everyone. But I still think that there are better ways to make money than busting your butt working at a restaurant, or making minimum wage working an exhausting retail job. I want to encourage you to get creative with your unique talents and skills and find ways to make money that don’t exhaust you.

You’d be surprised (or at least I was) to find out what people will actually pay money for. Services or products that you can provide. So this week, I want you to think about what you are good at and what others always ask your advice on. That’s a great place to start.

You are an artist. You don’t have to be broke. You are loved!