Hey guys, I was laid off from my job 6 months ago, and have been

>>18580182
I've gone back to freelance art, but again the jobs are few and far between and I'm not quite sure what my plan is at this point.

I don't even have a clear productive schedule of what to do. I'm still living with my parents, and them constantly giving me the guilt trip of "sitting in my room all day" drawing and applying to jobs, isn't helping. A part of me doesn't want to draw anymore because I'm not getting the work I want or don't know how to achieve it. I have no back up plan.

One of the freelance jobs I did was create storyboards for a guy who was pitching his cartoon to Nickelodeon. I really enjoyed storyboarding and see it as a possibility of something to do, but there's not many storyboarding jobs out here in NYC. The problem is, any art job I want to pursue, it's going to take time to build a portfolio for that specific job, and I need an income coming in now.

My boyfriend of 4 years is starting to get upset with me, because he feels I have no backup plan or no other skills that will allow me to get a steady job with steady income if we plan to build a future together. He's currently finishing up his master's in athletic training.

I'm almost 28 years old and I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm overwhelmed and not sure the first step I should be taking. Drawing and art what the only thing I wanted to do since 5 years old and I don't know what else I can do. I'm scared of the future.

>>18580214
TL;DR
Unemployed for 6 months, only skills are in art, can't find steady income in this field. I've wasted a lot of time trying to hone my skills to find a job in my dream field, but I need income coming in now. I don't know what my backup plan is or what my first step should be.

Whelp no replies. Guess I'm a loss cause.

Apply to temp agencies or warehouses for entry level positions. They always need more meat for the grinder. I've been unemployed for 8 months and I'm currently waiting on a background check for a decent gig. I got a history degree that was probably more expensive than yours, but the only experience anyone cares about is that one time I drove a forklift at my summer job.

Good luck buddy.

>>18580906
I've gone to temp agencies. They keep sending me jobs I don't want or jobs I'm not qualified for, and the jobs I am qualified for, I don't hear back. I maybe had one paid job through them.

There in lies the problem; it doesnt matter what you want. Despite what some people may think, the US job market is not good at all atm. Take what you can get until you find something better. Keep vlimbing from job to job until you find something tolerable that helps you find a role in your passion.

>>18581056
>the us job market not good at all

That's my problem. I can't find anything in the field I studied for, and I don't know what other jobs I can take that is not retail. My boyfriend supports my art, but thinks the industry isn't a stable field to get into so he's worried about me not finding something viable for us to have a future or family together.

He has a degree in athletic training, but before he went back to school, he worked as an electrician. So even if he can't find something in his field, he has other skills to fall back on. I dont.

A part of me has thought about going back to school, but I don't want to waste time getting a degree in something I don't want to do. If I were to go back to school, I'd want to go to a college like School of Visual Arts, or FIT to learn animation. But now that I'm almost 28, I'd be 32 by the time I graduated. Companies would rather hire the fresh faced 22 year old that graduated, not a 32 year old.

>>18582170
>choose a skill that is virtually worthless
>expect there to be jobs in said field
Anon, you should have just went to college for an actual job, and done freelance art on the side as a hobby. You would have had both the stability and earning potential of a career, while also doing what you love

>>18582188
I realize that now, and I'm kicking myself for not going to school that at least would have gotten me a degree instead of a trade school. If only my 3 years of credits were transferable.

I did attempt to go back to college at one point, at a local CUNY school, but after one semester I was hired at the slot machine company so I dropped out.

Because I don't have a traditional college degree, I feel I'm stuck in this path. I wish someone told me that this was going to be a very competitive field when I was 16 or 17.

>>18582201
You can try picking up computer programming. At least then you can do freelance work in either computer programing or art, diversifying your income a bit

companies want your talent, take it from someone in the industry frustrated at wacom bearing faggots who think they can draw but dont know shit

>take shitty job to generate income
>work on building your portfolio and improving your skills
>market yourself, sell your art
>network, network, network
>no connection is too lame, network
set a goal, build a workable schedule and work for it

A friend at mine's life dream was to work at Disney and got rejected and went through the same thing you are
What did she do? She worked on her art, started selling prints to friends and ended up opening her own studio selling her own art and doing little art gigs around the world

But seriously, network or bust
If youre good enough, youll get picked up as you work your way up to what you want
If youre not good enough, practice, practice, practice. If you have some sort of skill, people will pay for it

>>18582214
>take shitty job to generate income

This is what I'm trying to find now. I can't even get any entry level jobs

>network network network
Where exactly do I network? I have a Linkedin, but the socially anxious person I am is not sure how to approach these connections.

>>18581056
This is what I was getting at. I suggested warehouse work because here in Canada that's a job that's easy to get for just about anyone. I'm not sure what it's like in the states...

>>18582388
Jesus you're giving dense. GET A JOB. Even that retail job or McDonalds flipping burgers.

>b-but muh arts degree
Stop waiting for your dream job to fall in your lap. Get your income instead of sitting on your ass for 6 months. Build up your portfolio after work hours. If you're too tired to draw you don't have what it takes. As anon said above, keep applying to better jobs but do so WHILE YOU HAVE A JOB

>>18582482
>giving
Fucking, FUCKING dense

>>18580214
Become a Patreon artist. Draw high quality fanart about what's the most popular nerdy thing at the time, post it everywhere, shill it everywhere, build up a reputation, maybe even cater to a group's fetish and open a Patreon for commissions.

This is not a permanent nor stable solition, but it can be something to let you earn cash to pay your expenses, get your life together, earn more experience and reputation.

>>18582482
At this point it's not the degree. It looks weird on a resume to work at a big gaming studio to then working at McDonald's. What does that show to the employer?

>>18582388
>>18580954
So do you have an offer for a job or not? Sounds like you got a job to get by with, but you chose to wait it out for a dream entry job.

It's entry, just take it to get by while you look for something better or acquire more skills.

The job market is bad, but I swear the applicants are even worse. Speaking as a millenial too.

>>18583122
I said I can't even get entry jobs.

I should mention I live in NYC. I would love to just walk into certain companies and hand them a resume face to face, but Manhattan is a 1.5 hour bus ride away.

Bump because I have the same questions as you. You might try posting this on /ic/ if you haven't already.