Should I pursue my passion in drawing or am I wasting my time?

God I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm thinking of not using my engineering degree at ALL. I'm graduating in December 2017. But I want to do art. Uhhhhh, I love art. Maybe art festivals to sell stuff? Draw on phone cases? Do you think I will be successful? Please be brutally honest. Hurt my feelings please, I need it. I need people to tell me I'm bad so I DO NOT WASTE MY TIME anymore with this.

originally posted by: 5letters
God I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm thinking of not using my degree at ALL. But I want to do art. Uhhhhh, I love art. Do you think I will be successful? Please be brutally honest. Hurt my feelings please, I need it. I need people to tell me I'm bad so I DO NOT WASTE MY TIME anymore with this.

Hurt your feelings?????

Hell I'll give it a shot.

First off, here's some reading material to get you started.

treasurepursuits.com...

ETA: If you want to post some pictures of your art, that might help too.

originally posted by: 5letters
Hurt my feelings please, I need it. I need people to tell me I'm bad...

What is this, Fifty Shades of ATS?

The art is pretty funky by the way. I like it.

On a serious note:

Some of those are pretty damn cool. I like the wood pieces.

Honestly, would you rather have plenty of money and not be happy, or be happy and maybe sometimes struggle to make ends meet.

a reply to: 5letters

Follow your dream it saves on regrets later.

a reply to: 5letters

Find out how to market your talent!


What I wouldn't give to hit the time machine and go back 30 years! From what I see you have quite the talent, so you just need to learn how to market your work so that you can make a comfortable living!


Best wishes in your endeavor!

Ever hear of Etsy?

Looks like you're doing alright as I like the work that's shared. Maybe take it from a Graphic Designers view-where many go to make money in the art field besides being an art director or art teacher for example: when it became too popular, everyone who was into art was getting into it, the same time and the years following many of the design career opportunities "went overseas"(era mid 2000s), it wasn't working out for many in the field.

We became starving artists when trying not to become that. However, look at the more modern opportunities,the internet helps compared to when it was less used by everyone. If it can't be found there art as a side career isn't a bad thing, just be weary of becoming a starving artist if it's a sole care.

Time spent doing something you love is never wasted time.

I do think you should start small and don't rely entirely on art as a means to sustain yourself in the beginning. Good thing about art is it doesn't expire or go bad so the hours you put into it can be cherished by someone forever. Start small design a website and start selling your art online through ebay and craigslist. Go to art shows and sell your stuff there.

BTW your art is cool but I would try and expand on what you are doing. With what you are doing you are limiting your customer base to only people who like the designs you do. Try something new with your next project. Something outside your norm.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky

a reply to: 5letters

Do this on designer vinyl toys. Like Kidrobot Dunnies and you'll make some cash. Instagram is a good place to promote and sell your work.

U2U me if you have any questions.

Edit to add. With an engineering degree you can use that knowledge with your art to make some incredible pieces. My "job" is making and selling my own art so I can point you in the right direction.

The term starving artist exists for a reason.
In other words have a backup plan.
Maybe something in graphic design that allows you to combine your art with work.

a reply to: 5letters

As far as abstract or impressionist pieces go, I think it is notability that sells.

Maybe you could give some of your amazing stuff to notable people with rich friends? Then the impressionable rich will want to buy your stuff so they can be notable too.

I think that's how it works.

But yeah, your art is cool looking - just no prestige, I guess.

I wouldn't do it, if you can't rotate your right foot clockwise and draw a 6 with your right hand.

That is the official test.

Im totally serious. try it, it's hilarious

a reply to: 5letters

Pursue a career in Engineering; you can do the art work on the side.

If you can get a job with a big enough company and are crafty and deceitful, you can figure out how to "hide", blend into the Bureaucracy and you won't have to do very much in the way of actual work to get paid a good salary. As you burrow in deeper and deeper, you'll find yourself with plenty of spare time to do your artwork.

Definitely unique, I like it.
Why not do both?
I am sure that you can make a lot of money with an engineering degree, so I would not completely discount that career if I were you.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Artist who starve are the ones that give up and don't put the work in. It takes alot of work/time to gather a following and plan releases of your artwork so that you have weekly/bi monthly or month paychecks(steady income) Taking commissions is a big part of surviving as an artist(MO money) . Promoting yourself takes time too(social media helps with the following and promoting, you just have to know who to tag) Etc. What artists don't realize is that you basically have to manage a business to survive as an independent artist. It's a lot of damn work.

Most artists when slapping with that realization that being an artist isn't all fun and games making pretty stuff,they crumble and get a regular job,wasting art degrees.

One thing that pissed me off about college(fine arts/graphic design major) is that they did not offer a class in how to actually succeed in the business of being an artist.

a reply to: 5letters

I can't tell you you're bad because honestly these pieces look cool!

I know a few people that have done what you want...they travel the music/art festival circuits selling their creations for a living.. It's not bad income either it's just not a constant steady income... Some days you may get thousands and other days maybe a hundred dollars.

Get a body of work together and constantly drop into galleries(even small local galleries) asking for a showcase it's surprising how many pick up your offer.
Cafes and other art environments are good to as a platform to sell from just drop in and say "hey I've got some sweet og artwork can I display in your Cafe?
Ruthless self promotion is a major key, sell yourself like your art is the top # creme De la creme.

Create a website/instagram/etsy account and promote promote promote.
E-commerce is an artists best friend and is really good if you don't want to quit your day job.

a reply to: 5letters

That's some rad artwork you have there. I'd definitely buy some.

That said, if that is what you love doing, then DO IT. You can always get a job using your degree and do art on the side until you build things up.

Ideally, you should do what makes you happy. I'd recommend however starting out with an engineering job and working on the art stuff in your free time while you build up a presence. Etsy is a great website for people to sell art stuff. If you can start making livable money by doing it in your free time, then you should be safe to get out of engineering and go full-time into art... But it's not exactly the kind of thing you can just dive into and expect to earn livable income from right off the bat unless you get really lucky.

a reply to: 5letters

Wow man, i have some experience in buying art & you are on the right track.
It is hard work to get paid hard cash for your creations & you need to be a good salesman as well to get the money you deserves, because you are good and creative.
Altso remember it is money in tattoo for your milk and bread.
I was as you but mine was music but with school in electronic i followed that instead of guitar, later in life i understood i would be able to combine those 2 abilities by sitting behind the mixer together with the musicians and make musical pictures.
My simple advice try to combine.

Id say you are onto something here. Should get into pottery and get a kiln. Sell it on etsy.