Art as a life long Career Path
Choosing a career in the off beaten path of art, was a very difficult decision to make. When I was younger I personally didnt know too many artists first hand. I had heard of artist making it big, or on the opposite end of that, practically starving. Just because you are a good artist does not mean you will make a good living at it. It takes whole soul dedication and the desire to never quit.
I chose to take art directed classes in grade school because I loved to draw and paint, but as I got older and enrolled in college I really had to ask myself if I was making a smart career move that would be able to support not only myself but my family if I decided to have one. Living in Texas I had the opportunity to choose between many different forms of higher education. Texas offers great colleges and universities along with nationally ranked community colleges, trade schools, art institutes and vocational schools. The information was there, all I had to do was decide the route I would take.
I opted for a fail safe route. I had known art my entire life and loved it in every way, but still feared being able to make a living while pursuing what I loved. I chose to attend a community college close to home that offered both art classes along with many different trades and technical skills. Ive always been fascinated with the human body and considered x rays a form of art. I felt in this way if I had to choose a different career path, I could keep art still close to my heart. I then enrolled in a 2 year program to earn my degree as an x ray technician.
The field of an x ray technician is wide and can go many directions such as, ultrasound technician, radiology technician, and mri technician. They are all similar and would provide me with a feeling that was as close to art as I thought I could get. I finished my schooling in a little over two years and took my knowledge of art along with me. I landed a job quickly at a small doctors office in Southern Texas as an mri tech. Quickly earning over $30,000 a year I was extremely happy with my mri technician salary and started saving money right away.
My good income and lack of bills allowed me to save money very quickly, and within 5 years I had saved over $100,00 dollars. With this money saved I decided it would sustain me for several years while I then pursued my love and passion of art once again. From there I moved into a small efficiency apartment close to the border of Mexico behind an older woman who allowed me to maintain her yard and do other tasks for her in exchange for part of my rent. It was at that very moment I felt happy and fulfilled, that I knew I had made the right decision to go after my dream once again.
The years have passed quickly and I have never been happier. My art has more than payed for me to live and has even allowed me to save a little more than I had before I quit my job. I am grateful to be in the situation I am in, and try my best to take advantage of the situation given to me. I hope from this story that maybe you may be inspired to chase a dream of career that you want to pursue just as I did.