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More Job Rambles
a year ago
General
Just stuff that has developed as far as other opportunities go, and me responding to some suggestions from the prior journal and perhaps some short term plans and a potential long term career
CELTA certifictation and working abroad
As I speak spanish well, while there are no opportunities in my state, there are many opportunities to move to Spanish Speaking Countries and teach English. Not what I truly want to do but I would find that way better than many other jobs. There are a lot of TEFL and TESOL certifications on the internet but... most of them don't really lead to an actual career nor even guarantee getting an entry level english foreign teacher position abroad as a lot of them are frankly scams. Been warned about it, most I've reached out too are very scammy. I had one eat 300 dollars of mine a few months ago (not great).
The most practical of these certs though, and the most legitimate I know of is the CELTA cert from Cambridge University! And that would score me a job just aboooout anywhere!
But it costs 3000 dollars to purchase and 6 months to complete. I am willing to do that! But I obviously do not have that kinda money. So I think there is a way out of this whole career job life nightmare! But I need 3000 dollars and that doesn't come from nowhere.
So going back to retail?.. for a short term
I am actually quite depressed about it, I went back to University so I wouldn't have to be stuck in Retail and so... winding up back at... Retail. That stings, that doesn't just sting the prospect leaves me in quite a depressed state to say the least of it But they hire quick, its granted only part time but I have pretty low expenses right now. It could also help me keep workin on the comic of course which is a very important factor to me. It probably also wouldn't be forever, since the goal is to just get 3000 to throw at the CELTA and then perhaps a little bit more to live off of while I work at the CELTA. Perhaps 4-6 months of hell.
Or More heavily monetizing my drawings?
As recommended by
greenreaper
They recommended that I start opening up commissions and, maybe, that could work! I am skeptical I just don't think many folks would actually go through and commission me, especially for the sort of prices I feel I should charge, especially in this economy. I could also open up shinies here or advertise the Patreon more aggressively.
On some degree that feels bad to be honest, on some degree that feels like I would be turning the comic, the dragonscape, everything I do into a money scheme and I don't want it to be seen like that. It's why I've tried studying hard to get a good job that would support me while also making the comic. I feel like it would pollute why I draw to some extent. Maybe that is some melodramatic nonsense though.
So I guess as a question to you folks, do you think there would be a commissioning base here? Or should I start pushing the Patreon more heavily? Or add higher tiers?
I don't believe I will ever make a living off of drawing alone nor do I plan on that, but it is an option to help fund towards an actual long term career
CELTA certifictation and working abroad
As I speak spanish well, while there are no opportunities in my state, there are many opportunities to move to Spanish Speaking Countries and teach English. Not what I truly want to do but I would find that way better than many other jobs. There are a lot of TEFL and TESOL certifications on the internet but... most of them don't really lead to an actual career nor even guarantee getting an entry level english foreign teacher position abroad as a lot of them are frankly scams. Been warned about it, most I've reached out too are very scammy. I had one eat 300 dollars of mine a few months ago (not great).
The most practical of these certs though, and the most legitimate I know of is the CELTA cert from Cambridge University! And that would score me a job just aboooout anywhere!
But it costs 3000 dollars to purchase and 6 months to complete. I am willing to do that! But I obviously do not have that kinda money. So I think there is a way out of this whole career job life nightmare! But I need 3000 dollars and that doesn't come from nowhere.
So going back to retail?.. for a short term
I am actually quite depressed about it, I went back to University so I wouldn't have to be stuck in Retail and so... winding up back at... Retail. That stings, that doesn't just sting the prospect leaves me in quite a depressed state to say the least of it But they hire quick, its granted only part time but I have pretty low expenses right now. It could also help me keep workin on the comic of course which is a very important factor to me. It probably also wouldn't be forever, since the goal is to just get 3000 to throw at the CELTA and then perhaps a little bit more to live off of while I work at the CELTA. Perhaps 4-6 months of hell.
Or More heavily monetizing my drawings?
As recommended by
greenreaperThey recommended that I start opening up commissions and, maybe, that could work! I am skeptical I just don't think many folks would actually go through and commission me, especially for the sort of prices I feel I should charge, especially in this economy. I could also open up shinies here or advertise the Patreon more aggressively.
On some degree that feels bad to be honest, on some degree that feels like I would be turning the comic, the dragonscape, everything I do into a money scheme and I don't want it to be seen like that. It's why I've tried studying hard to get a good job that would support me while also making the comic. I feel like it would pollute why I draw to some extent. Maybe that is some melodramatic nonsense though.
So I guess as a question to you folks, do you think there would be a commissioning base here? Or should I start pushing the Patreon more heavily? Or add higher tiers?
I don't believe I will ever make a living off of drawing alone nor do I plan on that, but it is an option to help fund towards an actual long term career
I don't really like paypal so much as I already have it and everyone uses it, I would be willing to take a new one somewhere else as needed or desired
I rather use Ko-Fi or Boosty or such things instead. Also done direct Stripe payments before.
Maybe you could charge for cameos of drekir in the comic (it would probably require a bit of footwork on both parties part though)
But I found it a lot easier to use those skills to make a standalone wiki for fans of a game we made, and perhaps that's a better way to look at it - it's not part of the DragonScape just because you draw it, even if you draw in a similar style. At most, it's a "what-if", like Imua riding a hoverbike. Plus, if it turns out not many folk want a commission, it probably won't have much of an impact - if you do get too many, you could always raise your prices and meet your goal sooner, and offer easier sketches for cheaper if you don't want fans to be priced out.
It's also a roundabout way of drawing new readers to your work who might never have stumbled across it otherwise. A large proportion of artwork that we really like nowadays was a commission back in the day! Likely many exist because the alternative was a retail job, and less time on art.
Patreon can be lucrative, but risks getting more into the "doing the comic for the money" aspect - and I'd be wary of relying overmuch on it, as I hear a lot of stories of furry artists getting turfed off. The same can happen with PayPal, so it's a good idea to diversify your payment options - Wise/CashApp, Ko-Fi, Venmo, etc. Or just basic ACH bank transfers - most banks and credit unions let you pay another person directly via their routing and account numbers, though sometimes you have to set it up as if if you were paying a company. It's more typical this side of the pond (while credit cards are slightly less common).
Its mostly that it would take time away from the comic and my work on the comic that worries me, and I worry it may not be good enough for people. But I could try something related to a starting "drekify you" commission as a testing waters to see how I feel about commissions.
Perhaps it does also draw people in!
as for patreon I actually already have a patron: patreon.com/ThePatcheDragon
It's something that I've had a small degree of reliance on to pay for the costs of the website and it has worked very well for that! I will prolly make a Ko-Fi today as someone else has already mentioned they prefer it to Paypal! So maybe I can try it right now! Working on things as we speak
to be honest I really am not terribly sure how to handle the patreon at this point, I think all the folks who will subscribe (generally) have. Not an insult to them of course, I am beyond grateful and the Patreon singlehandedly keeps the personal website up which is great! But I don't think I have any future things to do there that would grow it. Or at least I don't think they would be good.
I have seen other artists and comic artists set up limited number tiers that are pretty steeply charged, but I know folks like Val or Kingadee or whatnot have audiences I don't really see myself ever getting. So I don't feel I should count on that
still fearfully eyeing the anvil of retail work swinging overhead,
but it gives me hope to see to channel that anxiety
into proactive surveying and brainstorming.
And it's downright heroic of you to cling to the integrity of your art projects,
even though your entire academic and career trajectory
has gotten so frustratingly precarious
that is issues such harsh demands.
Wishing you to make the right decision!
Even though the choices are rotten
and harsh, and you deserve
so much better. It would be
a happy day when you
finally land a lucrative
and fulfilling position.
Is retail really the only financial ramp option for someone
who has turned down an opportunity for becoming a professor?
What about a middle-of-the-road office job
translating Spanish docs and being
a living linguistic bridge to
Latin America for some U.S. firm?
It would still be garbage, but perhaps
a cozier kind of a garbage temp ramp job.
and it's clear you have done a lot of searching around already.
It's a really godawful mess that the possibilities are so limited.
I would endorse the Detroit long shot, as that would open up more opportunities,
and you'd have a friendly connection along the line of your career,
but I'm in no position to advice such a lifechanging gamble.
Just keeping fingers crossed, and hopeful for future developments.