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The notion of a starving artist is somewhat obsolete in the modern world. Of course, many creatives suffered due to the pandemic, and with theater closed, and all creative endeavors proving unstable, it’s made many people rethink their careers. But for those people who are now coming up, and are looking to become an artist in some way, it’s such an important lesson to learn from those who have suffered during the pandemic- there’s got to be a backup plan. This is nothing new because the very nature of working in creative circles is a feast or famine experience. But there are many people who, whether they just graduated from drama college, or are seriously considering going into the entertainment industry, need to find alternative careers that allow them to pursue their dream. Let’s show you some approaches that will benefit you.

Starting Your Own Business

You might consider this to be a risky career choice, because after all, starting your own business requires you to go back to the drawing board, as it were. But the important lesson in going down this avenue is that it has a lot of carryover into your artistic career. You learn how to promote yourself by promoting your business, you start to learn about aspects like targeting the right audience, but also, the financial aspect helps you to rein in so many aspects of your life. 

Additionally, for those people who want to start their own theater company, they have no choice but to learn the business ropes. So by starting your own business in another sector gives you a sense of purpose, that is always there should you find yourself in a fallow period creatively speaking. The important thing is to choose something that is loosely related to your creative passions but is separate enough that you don’t falter if the creative aspects dry up. 

Think hard about what you want to do, and make sure that you know how to put a business plan together because if you find yourself in the offices of the Provident State Bank applying for an SBA loan, you will need to have every eventuality covered. Also when it comes to starting your own business, you can go down other avenues, for example, affiliate marketing, but the important thing to remember when it comes to your choice of business is that when the role or job of the lifetime comes up, that you are able to slow it down somewhat. There is always that worry that the business could dry up, which is why it could benefit you to provide services that can naturally fill those gaps. For example tutoring.

Delivery Driving

One of the best ways to get out and about and have some freedom is to be a delivery driver. The more drops you do, the better you get paid, but also, you don’t have to find yourself stuck in an office, or worrying about your next payday. Delivery driving is also a temporary or freelance contract, so you can find jobs, and let the people in charge know when you are not going to be able to work.

Freelancing 

It is one of the best approaches to picking up and putting down jobs shouldn’t the right opportunity come up, but when you are a freelancer, you need to be aware of the initial investment, financially and timewise, upfront. There are many opportunities for people to make a living freelancing, such as being a virtual assistant or a copywriter. And there are always clients who will need their content spruced up or their website redesigned. This is why it’s so important to have another skill handy. You need to look at areas that are in more demand than others.

So, for example, relating to the above point, if there are people starting their own business, they are going to need help. And this is where you could come in. By providing assistance, either by doing admin work, or other supporting functions, you are gaining invaluable knowledge in building and the business for yourself, but also, when you start to build a working relationship with someone who understands your situation, it can be a very worthwhile way to operate. It does take time to build up a reputation, and you may need to spend some time providing free services.

Temp Agencies 

Temp agencies find you temporary work and this could be anything, and if you’re not picky, this is one of the best ways to keep yourself supported. This is very worthwhile, especially if you are working in roles that take your evenings and not your daytime. Many offices have a 9 to 5 routine, so you can work in the evening on your chosen projects. Temp agencies are great because it’s not too difficult to find these jobs, and are usually easy to do. 

Additionally, the pay is good, but if you need time off for, say, an audition, it’s unlikely they will give you the time off, but this is why it benefits to get in with an agency and understand what they are after in the short-term. There are companies that can give you time off, but the important thing to remember is with these companies that there is no security. There are many marketing agencies that are always looking for people to conduct telephone surveys, which can be a thankless task, however, the flexibility is there.

It’s important to find career choices that allow you to pursue your dreams. The hard thing to do is find one that is incredibly flexible. This is why it’s recommended you try freelancing or starting your own business because you have complete control over the time you work. Bear in mind, it is not always possible to have 100-percent control over your work, but also, it’s important to bear in mind that with so many creatives, like musicians, artists, and even stage managers, they’ve got to find a niche to capitalize on away from their dream career.