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Please bare with me this post will be a bit long, but I want to make it as clear as possible. I am a 39 year old African American artist and k-12 art teacher. Well at least until June 2013 when my certificate expires I have been living in South Carolina now almost 3 years without a job, money or prospects. At the moment I can't afford to renew my certificate. I have tried to do a lot to change my situation , but no one is hiring teachers here and it seems the majority of jobs here are restaurant, retail, and supermarkets. I could be wrong, but I think outsiders are not so welcomed here. There is more of a hometown support our own vibe here and not many successful minorities as a whole.
I've tried to sell my artwork here, apply for grants, and show my work locally , but people just aren't that into art here, the art here is kind of conservative created by those who already have money or family support and you have to pay to play in order to get into galleries or have shows. On top of all this grant money is almost nonexistent in South Carolina. If one does get a grant they are required to match it, which seems pointless. If I had $1500-3000 why would I be applying for a grant in the first place????? No match , no grant!
The people here are nice and laid back and I love the surroundings, housing is very affordable ( if you have a job), but I am getting super frustrated by my living situation. Something has to change immediately and if it doesn't in the next 6-12 months I will need to figure out how to leave.
I have always dreamed of living in the Northwest , but the cost of living and the high housing does scare me. I've always wondered could i afford it and survive. I am used to rent being $300-500 max in the south and midwest.
Besides K-12 , I do have a Masters degree in fine arts. I am open to returning to college if i have to for a second Masters or PhD if I get a complete fellowship and can find a job afterwards. Yet, at the same time I do not want to waste my time if it's all for not. I would love to teach as an adjunct art instructor for a college, work as a college staff member, work for a nonprofit, at a library, or work at a gallery as a curator or museum educator. I also have interest in community art teaching, murals , etc. Maybe teaching art workshops at schools and centers.I am pretty good with graphic programs like flash, photoshop, and illustrator. I am hoping to learn more like web design and perhaps 3d animation. Perhaps I could be a web designer or animator. A job that is quiet and laid back would suit me best now. My preference is part-time work as I would like time to devote to my art and art career, but I would be willing to work up to 40 hours. I want to be able to earn enough to take care of myself and pay rent without the help of a roommate.
As far as housing, I prefer single family housing, cause I have a senior parent and pets to look after. Though as an artist I am sure I could make any structure work as long as it's not falling apart. I would not mind a commercial space that could be turned into a live/work space. A cheap artist loft, even a mobile home or townhouse with a fenced yard. I don't have to live in the city. I can live outside the city and actually prefer it, if it is cheap, safe, and as long as it close to public trans and has hospitals, supermarkets, gas, Walmart less than a mile.
So with all this said I am wondering what is the job scene like? Could I make it in the Northwest, particularly in the Seattle area, Vancouver, WA or Portland, Or and which area would be best for my talents and desires? Or do you have a suggestion for a different area that would be just as good if not better.
Reading your post, my first thought would be for you to go to school for web design and 3D animation; looking into coding games and other graphic applications. That is a career that makes money. But then you say you "would be willing" to work 40 hours. I'm sure that sounds logical to another artist, but to the rest, it just sounds like you are not serious. When you say "a job that is quiet and laid back" would suit you best right now, wouldn't any job suit you right now?
Housing in Seattle is expensive. $500. might get you a room in someone's house. You will need an income to live here and art is not lucrative unless you are very successful. You need to look at your skills and adapt them into something that pays. Good luck!
Reading your post, my first thought would be for you to go to school for web design and 3D animation; looking into coding games and other graphic applications. That is a career that makes money. But then you say you "would be willing" to work 40 hours. I'm sure that sounds logical to another artist, but to the rest, it just sounds like you are not serious. When you say "a job that is quiet and laid back" would suit you best right now, wouldn't any job suit you right now?
Housing in Seattle is expensive. $500. might get you a room in someone's house. You will need an income to live here and art is not lucrative unless you are very successful. You need to look at your skills and adapt them into something that pays. Good luck!
Don't get me wrong. I know that probably doesn't sound sensible to a non artist. Ideally as an artist I 'd like time to create. Being an artist when you do a 9-5 job or even work more hours, it can be very hard to come home at 6pm and then start making your own work, plus promote your art ( which is a whole other job aside from just being an artist). It can be hard to get the creativity flowing. However, you are right art is not always lucrative and beggars cannot be choosers. There are many artist that handle dual careers.
I don't mean to be picky about jobs,but I also know me and what I am good at and a high stress environment will fry me quicker than an egg, unless it's something I am very good at and really enjoy. I previously worked at a terribly run school and it did a lot to burn me out, big time!!! It's long story , but needless to say you have to find your nitch. I know , helping people, working with art, education ( in a good environment) or working in a museum type institution or library is more up my alley. Your suggestion about working with computers is a great idea too. I have been considering that as well. I will look into the coding side.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The art institute in Seattle is cranking out graduates every year that cannot find work, they end up as a cashier at Sears or if they are lucky getting a little more than minimum wage in production at a sign or print shop. Schools in WA state are suffering from severe budget cuts and typically cutting programs like art. Hard as it may be, many if not most artists here do have a daytime job to get by.
Seattle is a magnet for artistic types, and competition here for jobs in those fields is fierce. Competition for any job that has specialized skills is fierce because people move here and compete with the people who already live here and don't want to move away.
As a result, we have some of the brightest, most educated and most creative baristas and retail workers in the country.
All I see in your post are excuses why you aren't more successful as an artist or a teacher, or why you can't hold down a regular job to pay for your art. Those will be the same excuses that you would need anywhere that you live. Making a living at art is a full time job, and it is stressful. You need to be able to spend 40 hours a week marketing yourself and your work and then spend the rest of your time creating.
The local artists that I know who are able to support themselves without another job are the ones that I see at every art festival and fair and community event with a booth with their works. They are the ones who spend every weekend in the summer traveling around setting up booths and talking to the thousands of people who pass by during the day. They put themselves out there. And then they go home and paint or sculpt.
You can be just as successful in South Carolina as you can in Seattle. It just means treating it like a business and taking your stuff to every arts festival you can find. You probably know that there is a big week-long art festival in Charleston going on this week. Did you submit your work to be displayed there? Or how about the Spring Fling in Spartanburg? Every weekend there is a place where you can take your work to be sold.
Seattle isn't going to solve any of your problems. You'll face the same problems here that you face where you are.
And I'm taking the opposite viewpoint here: Yes! You should move out here. Sometimes a change of scenery works wonders. It doesn't look like your life is suddenly going to full of fun and joy if you stay in South Carolina, and maybe things will be rough if you move out here. The economy is fairly good here, relative to a lot of places. Worst case scenario is that you'd have ton take a short term gig saying things like " Would you like fries with that?", or " Welcome to Walmart." But it seems to me that Seattle is more your kind of place, I think you'd like living here. There are parts of the Seattle area where broke artists live. And I think we need more creative people here, so both you and the community here could mutually benefit if you moved to Seattle. Go with your heart.
I am not an expert but I do know that getting a job in the museum sector in Seattle is going to be very difficult. My wife is an art conservator/restorer who used to work for a renowned studio in London on many high profile objects and she hasn't been able to find position with any of the museums in Seattle. She's been doing some volunteer work for the Seattle Art Museum but they've cut down significantly on staff in all areas, they even closed down for 3 weeks or so last year to reduce personnel cost. She's mostly doing freelance work for antique dealers now but the amount of work she gets is quite unstable.
Seattle is a magnet for artistic types, and competition here for jobs in those fields is fierce. Competition for any job that has specialized skills is fierce because people move here and compete with the people who already live here and don't want to move away.
As a result, we have some of the brightest, most educated and most creative baristas and retail workers in the country.
All I see in your post are excuses why you aren't more successful as an artist or a teacher, or why you can't hold down a regular job to pay for your art. Those will be the same excuses that you would need anywhere that you live. Making a living at art is a full time job, and it is stressful. You need to be able to spend 40 hours a week marketing yourself and your work and then spend the rest of your time creating.
The local artists that I know who are able to support themselves without another job are the ones that I see at every art festival and fair and community event with a booth with their works. They are the ones who spend every weekend in the summer traveling around setting up booths and talking to the thousands of people who pass by during the day. They put themselves out there. And then they go home and paint or sculpt.
You can be just as successful in South Carolina as you can in Seattle. It just means treating it like a business and taking your stuff to every arts festival you can find. You probably know that there is a big week-long art festival in Charleston going on this week. Did you submit your work to be displayed there? Or how about the Spring Fling in Spartanburg? Every weekend there is a place where you can take your work to be sold.
Seattle isn't going to solve any of your problems. You'll face the same problems here that you face where you are.
Sean you are right about it taking a lot of work to be a successful artist and thinking of it as a regular job, but with all due respect Sean you haven't walked in my shoes and you don't know entirely what your talking about.
Sean you are right about it taking a lot of work to be a successful artist and thinking of it as a regular job, but with all due respect Sean you haven't walked in my shoes and you don't know entirely what your talking about.
There's no need to be defensive or take offense to Sean's comments. He's just giving you realist perspective.
As to your OP... obviously, you will not find a house to rent in the Greater Puget Sound area for around 500 dollars. It just won't happen (unless it's a friend and you're actually getting a favor from a friend-- that's what one of my best friend is doing now. She's renting a 4bdrm house with a decent backyard for $750/mo-- killer deal). The pets are going to be a hurdle to "cheap" housing as most here will not allow it... and if you do just happens to find that one place that does allow pets... there's usually restrictions and/or money involved.
Walmart isn't pervasive in the Seattle culture-- which people here will tell you it's a good thing.
I think if you're ready for a complete new way of life and environs it would be good.
Also... Please don't consider Vancouver, Wa especially since you're still wanting to be an artist. It's a wasteland suburbia for artiste/creative people. For that area, just focus on Portland.
Sito I am sorry to hear your wife is not finding museum work, especially with her expertise. That does sound a bit scary. I don't mind working at any gallery, library etc. It doesn't just have to be a museum , but it sounds like those jobs may be quickly filled.
I am thinking the change would likely do me well. It seems like there would be more things to do and just as much wilderness and wildlife as SC. I live near he mountains here. There are things I like about South Carolina and if I had a regular job I'd consider staying here, but so far that isn't happening. Also I am not a huge fan of the intense summers. I've always preferred milder weather not too hot or too cold. I used to love rain, but SC may be spoiling me with its abundant sunshine.
I understand the likelihood of finding a place for $500 a month is pretty rare, but what areas have the most affordable housing for rent and sale? Again I don't have to be in the city, if its rural and has public trans or rail to the city that would be ok.
What do you have instead of Walmart? Meijers? What are the resale shops like? Are they expensive? I suspect if I make the trek cross country I will need to buy some used furniture when I arrive.
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I have been living in South Carolina now almost 3 years without a job, money or prospects. At the moment I can't afford to renew my certificate. I have tried to do a lot to change my situation , but no one is hiring teachers here and it seems the majority of jobs here are restaurant, retail, and supermarkets. I could be wrong, but I think outsiders are not so welcomed here. There is more of a hometown support our own vibe here and not many successful minorities as a whole. 
