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Day Jobs

I have this vision of answering the age old question: “What do you do for a living?” with the answer “I’m a screenwriter” and actually mean it. By definition I am, but right now as I pay my dues, put in the sweat equity, and bow down to the man, I’m still working a day job. Writing jobs are coming in, but they aren’t supporting me or my minimalist lifestyle yet.

Day jobs are nothing new for artists of any ilk. We can’t get paid until we’ve rubbed our fingerprints raw with work that will most likely never see the light of day. We have to prove ourselves to the world, and I’m not sure I disagree with that style of evolution. The strong survive to become paid to do their art and the weak go back to the drive-through and ask you if you want fries with that. I’m merely sending out props to all my hard working friends and associates that create until they bleed, and then turn around and punch a clock to pay the bills.

Here’s a list that unabashedly pimps out myself and my associates with their other jobs: (no shame in advertising)

I myself am a web designer. I’m average because I spend more energy focusing on my writing career and not my design or programming skills, but I get by on what I have. People like my work and I give them what they want within their wee little budgets. It’s a satisfying job because I can do it at home, but with the economy lately, I’ve been searching the want ads for something better.

A friend of mine is an actor in LA, he has a business that from my standpoint, totally disconnects his art from his day job. He sells large format printers,  the kind used by architects and people who need to make large illustrations.  He knows so much information about the printers too, it boggles the mind.  I recently created a daisy chain of sites for him…starting with this one.  If you ever find yourself needing a printer like this, I insist you call him because he knows his stuff and his prices are competitive.

A fellow tweeter and filmmaker has an amazing sense of color and imagery as a graphic designer but during summers he does fence construction. Me thinks his talent as a graphic designer is of better use to him as a filmmaker than web design is to my work as a writer.  Why didn’t I take more art classes? Why why why?

Another writer friend of mine works for a software company. I still don’t know what he does exactly, but it’s a decent job-job as in full time and I’m a bit jealous.

[more to come…]

I’ve also known writers who sell tupperware, knives, anything to make ends meet.  We will do anything to support our keyboard habit.

In closing, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize.  Never let any day job get in your way of your dreams.  It’s just a job, but writing is everything.