Hello out there, I am a struggling artist looking for work. I am trying very hard to keep my faith and follow the right path, but I just keep falling down. I have been working very hard to support my family, but nothing has proven successful. I am actively seeking steady income, and I have some long term projects that I believe will prove fruitful, but I desperately need a reliable income source. As a man with a family it is embarrassing and painful to have talent, skill, and education and not be able to provide. I have come to the conclusion that maybe I can't do it on my own, so I will swallow my pride and ask for help. I have a high level of skill in many different mediums, with pen and ink and digital art being my strongest. I will accept any help, ideas, critiques or suggestions with open arms. I have gone all in on a few risky endeavors and the results were devastating to me and my family. I humbly ask for any help and guidance, seeing my family suffer because of my mistakes and shortcomings is becoming more than I can bear. I thank you for taking the time to read my plea, God bless.
Replies
Thanks for the Scriptures.
As they prove, the Lord is concerned with our sanctification- our character and the condition of our souls. He wants us to walk in His ways, to acknowledge Him in all things, to follow Him on the lighted path.
...But as the Scriptures above prove, the details of our lives- such as what profession we are to choose- the Lord leaves to us.
The Lord never told tax collectors NOT to be tax collectors, or centurions not to be centurions. All He asks of all of us is to follow Him, and to do all thing to and for Him.
For as long as we walk in the Spirit and make godly choices we are in the center of the very will of God for our lives.
Appreciate it.
Sir, Hello there. Draw me a 'Raegan and RJ in Space!' picture or sketch, e-mail it to me at ranger5xrmc@aol.com and I will send you $30 by certified mail that day. Go to my web site for ideas. You can do pencil, computer, whatever. The web site is http://www.raeganandrjinspace.com where my trilogy is. I will post your work in the 'amazing art' section for kids all over the world to enjoy. Hang in there. God will provide. God Bless. Rich Collins
Proverbs 3:6 - 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Ephesians 2:10 - 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2 Samuel 22:33 - 33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
Psalm 32:8 - 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Psalm 37:23 - 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Psalm 48:14 - 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
Isaiah 45:2 - 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isaiah 58:11 - 11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Psalm 18:32 - 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Steve Crespo said:
Psalm 23:1 - 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Jonah 1:17 - 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Genesis 7:4 - 4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Exodus 9:12 - 12 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses.
Jonah 1:4 - 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
2 Corinthians 12:7 - 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Isaiah 29:10 - 10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
1 John 4:9-10 - 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Steve Crespo said:
de·ism/ˈdē-izəm/
You've gotten a lot of Godly and sound advice. The most important thing you can do is to continue to seek His will. That is not always easy, especially when we have such a burning passion for our craft. As mentioned, each person's path will be different. God's speaks to us individually, but He will never lead you contrary to His word. I've been where you are at, and though my life has not always been the path I would have chosen, God's hand has been evident. You have brothers and sisters that are praying for you and your family. God is our Provider and He will never change. God bless you and your family
I've been working on making a serious start to my art and writing as a business - my computer has finally pretty much died, but as soon as I replace it, I'll be able to move forward.
If you have a decent computer, you might be able to benefit from my research.
1. Get a central hub website with your own domain to showcase your work (low-res images so they aren't much use if stolen). You need your own apart from Facebook - they keep changing their TOS and you wouldn't have any recourse if they take down your page. I'm looking at jimdo.com - they have a free version that seems easily switched to the paid pro version, which allows more store items and takes "jimdo" off the domain name.
2. Business cards with a summary of your skills and contact info that includes your new website. QR codes are free to generate and look really cool. Moo.com has lovely cards which you can get free if you leave their logo on one side.
3. Product line. Every piece of art you have that's even vaguely appropriate for merchandise can be printed on demand on a product and sold online. Sites like Zazzle.com and Cafepress are free to use. You can link to your store on these sites from your central hub website. This is more of a long-tail thing - you have to earn a minimum of $100 before Zazzle sends a check - but it's nice to not have to do order fulfillment yourself and extremely gratifying to see your work on things like Tshirts and steins and posters.
4. Commissioned work. You're in Charleston! :) The ultimate picturesque tourist town. Make "Charleston artist" one of the keywords for your website. See if any local businesses will pay you to paint holiday scenes on their windows. What can you make that's a good gift?
5. Licensing. This one, I'm still really fuzzy on how exactly to do it, but it's much more profitable to get a company to pay you for the use of your art on products than it is to try to market things yourself through Zazzle. But you definitely need a nice website that showcases your portfolio and makes you easy to contact, and nice business cards to direct prospects there.
6. No matter what, keep working toward something. Get up every day with a sense of purpose. Have a list of tasks to accomplish and knock them out first thing every day. Don't make the list too long - you are probably capable of superhuman feats on day one, but by day 12 you'll be fried if you try to keep it up.
Be ready to accept work. Have a huge calendar and pencil in everything on your schedule and check it every day. Keep phone numbers (or email, if they are okay with that) of your clients and keep them informed of your progress on their piece and of anything new you're doing. Fill out a work order for every project that fully explains the client's expectations and your obligations, your deadlines for each stage of work, and your compensation and when you'll be paid. Charge for revisions to the work order or you'll be chasing after each new and better vision for the project. Have a plan for delivery.
Oh, and never work for "exposure." People die of exposure, as we say in freelance writing. Work for free on projects you really believe in, and any return on that will just be a bonus.
*hugs* I hope things look up for you soon. You are here on purpose, for a purpose. Hold onto that purpose, even if you don't know what it is :) God gives good gifts.
Seems like a lot of people have given you a great deal of encouragement (thank God for groups like CCAS).
I can't really help in the job aspect (as I'm a college freshman myself) but I would be more than happy to give my input on your art. And I'd love to give you my prayers as well! Let's get you growing as an artist and a christian! God can provide the rest.
Never crossed my mind. I'm with ya, Bro.
God provides.
(Check out those books if you can for some very practical advice and info.)
Be well.
Thank you all for your words of support and encouragement. I realize that my words may sound dramatic and exaggerated, but do not take them as anger or disrespect. My words are chosen to convey great emotion and immense passion, with no overtones of discontent. I am not casting the blame or feeling persecuted, or punished in any way. It is merely my way of sharing my story and expressing myself. Despite my financial and employment situations, I am truly blessed with an incredible wife and young son. I am immensely thankful for my blessings and our love grows stronger in our times of turmoil. I remain optimistic that a new path will be revealed, and new doors will open and reveal fertile ground.
Christopher...
I know what you're going through. I had many, many wilderness years- unemployment, lack of direction, closed doors, etc.- so I can fully appreciate your frustration as a man who wants to provide.
But I have to say, that I do not agree that God gives food allergies with the message that "any other line of work will not be tolerated." That simply is not the character of our Lord.
Listen, I spent many years frustrated, not knowing which way to go. I had talent, but every door was slammed in my face. I had been mislead many times- promised work that never came- and even ripped off more than once, delivering work and never being paid. I had my wrestling with God over this. I remember my mother telling me years later that she was fearful of being told that I was found hanging from a belt. (I kid you not.)
But let me tell you something that happened to me one day that I never, ever forgot. ...I was walking through one of the many gardens in New York's Central Park. Why I was down there I can't remember, but I do remember that was not a happy period in my life. Anyway, as I was walking through the garden a HUGE bug zipped past my face. I didn't know what it was, but it was big, like a cicada.
After my initial shock I followed the bug as it zipped, and came to rest over a flower. Turns out it was a hummingbird.
I love birds- and gardens for that matter- I always have, but every time I drew nearer to the bird to get a closer look it zipped away. I chased that thing all over the garden, until...
I stood still.
I simply stayed in one spot, and to my great, great joy the bird came so very close to me- drinking from a nearby flower- that I could see the distinctions of each metallic red feather covering it's throat.
Now, God can speak in many ways, and I believe that He does. I also believe we very often mistake these unusual events for God's speaking. But I was POSITIVE this was the Lord. Why? Well, not only did I feel His presence, but His word came to mind: "Be still and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)
There are numerous places in Scripture that tell us to be still, cease striving, and rest in Him.
I needed to be reminded, and He showed me through His creation.
That being said, I do not see the Lord directing people's occupational choices in Scripture, nor do I see God making such life choices for people, or revealing a plan for their lives in this way. (That is, what job to take.)
It simply is not there.
What IS God's will for your life? Based on the Scriptures?
THIS is God's will for you. That you be sanctified.
What you do with your life, which profession you take, God leaves to you. He wants us to ask for wisdom when we lack it, but He wants us to make that choice. Yet, to do so within His will, that we grow more into the likeness of His Son.
So... that leaves out certain evil or unsavory professional choices, but leaves huge amounts of possibilities.
There are MANY verses that support this, but the idea that God has a specific plan with a specific job specifically for you is simply not Scriptural.
Again we read-
According to this verse, what is the will of God?
God's will is meant to shape WHO we are. WHAT we do with who we are He allows for us to decide. After all, every Father wants His children to grow to make their own choices, but to do so according to the character he has instilled in them. Yes?
And think of this... IF God did have a specific job for each person, then would you agree that MOST people are not in God's will because they have the wrong jobs, AND each job that is wrongfully filled is barring the job for whom it was intended. Ssooo... in order to fulfill God's will- that is, if He did have a specific job for you and everyone else- He would have to have a mass firing and rehiring of MOST of the global workforce.
It's not only illogical, but it's un-Scriptural.
I say this to lessen your load. To take from you the weight of thinking that you are not obeying God's calling by not entering His chosen profession. It simply isn't so.
I was VERY much like you. I spent a whole lot of time in frustration, and on my knees crying out for God to show me His will. I know. But as it often is, His will for me was not want I wanted it, nor understood it to be.
Be still, Christopher, and KNOW that He is God.
Rest in Him. Trust Him.
I know it is the hardest thing in the world for you to do right now- in the midst of this storm- but that is the essence of the Christian life, isn't it? To trust God at all times in all things.
That's number one...
Number two... you would do yourself a HUGE benefit if you would look into these two books I found to be IMMENSELY helpful and informative.
The first completely transformed my life by laying out the Scriptural meaning of God's will. The second radically changed my way of thinking about job creation.
Take some time to read these. They will give you ideas, give you encouragement, and help to give clarity to the situation at hand. (Both are Christian authors, by the way.)
God bless, my brother.
Shalom.
Believe me when I say to you, that I have tried everything BUT using my talent to earn money for my family. It really seems like every time I put my art on hold and get a job that is outside of my passion, God really slams that door hard in my face. The message could not be any more clear, that any other line of work will not be tolerated. I have always had a fall back job in food service, and utilized my artistic and creative talent in the kitchen to my benefit. It was never something that I enjoyed, but eventually after 20 years of working in restaurants off and on to pay the bills, I earned enough experience in the field to land a nice cushiony Chef job in a local upscale retirement home. It wasn't great pay, but it had benefits, vacation time, and it was easy and close to home. Once I had been there for a year and had gotten comfortable with the fact that maybe, just maybe, This was God's plan for me... here comes the monkey wrench. I had an allergic reaction to shrimp while cooking with it at work. I had never, EVER been allergic to any food. After a few tests I was sent to the National Allergy Center where they diagnosed me with a rare autoimmune allergy disease. That basically means that I can have an allergic reaction to any allergen at any time. This also means that I can no longer work in the food industry at all. I had to quit my job, and the places and types of jobs that I am able to do are very limited. I ignored my calling and settled for the easy money and I believe I paid the ultimate price for that. I chose the smooth path over the rocky path and I paid for it. I sacrificed my hopes and dreams so my family could get by time and time again, and every time that path was a dead end. I have worked jobs that I thought were the best choice at the time, and they went out of business, or they refused to pay me my earned wages and so on...and so on. I still work the odd jobs when I can find them, I would never turn down honest work, I just had seasonal employment in a Halloween store, but of course that was temporary. I have come to a crossroads in my professional career, food service is no longer an option. The fallback, the safety net, has been removed completely. God has spoken to me softly in the past, but now he is making himself loud and clear, and he is saying " DO you hear me now? "
Amber Parker said:
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