Jobless and need a Plan (remote and/or artistic work)

I'm really bad at asking for help, but I've been out of a job for almost two months now and I'm getting desperate.

By sheer force of will, I have cranked my spending habits down to Bills+Absolute Necessities, to the tune of roughly $1400 a month. A good $1220 are housing, car, insurance. Groceries are $160- AFTER splitting the bills three ways with the roomies. We're cheapskates, cook instead of buying prepared food as much as we can, and we're constantly short.

This was not the plan. The plan was to save up a year's worth of bills and leave this dreadful city behind with enough cushion to weather the lifestyle change between "hourly wage manufacturing line worker" and "subsistence farmer with a part-time remote job and, like, ALL of the livestock."

But some financial burdens ate up the reserves, a car was totalled and a new payment added itself to the necessities, and just as we were starting to get afloat, HR came to me and said, "One of the supervisors said you were sleeping on the job."

My standing job.

So in spite of it not being likely, I couldn't prove that I wasn't doing as the supervisor said and was escorted out that day. Apparently I just have one of those faces when I'm bored out of my mind. I was still getting my work done, and doing it well (my perfectionism would accept no less), but apparently looking asleep while doing so. I don't know what else I could have done.

The thing is, this isn't the first time this has happened. I haven't been able to prove that I'm not sleeping on the job before, and I don't want to be in the position of having to defend that point again. I would rather my work speak for itself. I would rather not have to point at it and say, "Look! Proof that I was awake!" I would rather not have to present my face for judgement.

I'm hoping to find remote work. I have some creative skill in writing, drawing, and sculpture. One of my more successful jobs was in data entry, and editing for spelling or grammar is second nature to me (although most editing gigs won't accept me because I don't have professional experience). I'm really not sure what to DO with these skills. I've got lots of ideas but no workable direction, at least not one that I'm certain will help me pay the bills. I don't mind working hard as long as there's even modest certainty of payout. Without that certainty, though, I keep freaking out and trying to go in several directions at once, ultimately getting nowhere.

I could really use some advice from y'all who have things relatively together and are mostly living my dream. (Everyone else keeps giving me advice for getting onto and climbing the corporate ladder, racking up more debt in the process.)

Hi Sarah,
I would recommend getting whatever job at McDonald's or Walmart that you can get right now. This will give you a little income to help get out of debt, while you work on what you want to do, which is the remote/artistic work. You need something now, so that you have some breathing room for later.

Specific to your skills and desires, I would think tutoring would be a good option. You can do it remotely much of the time, and could help with english, grammar, writing, etc. Also, try starting small with art. I know people want to create a masterpiece right off the bat, but a better way might be to create a good drawing, and copy it. Sell the copies for $5 apiece at a craft fair. You mention sculpting. There are all kinds of tutorials on making your own molds. Why not create something, and create copies to sell. Maybe something small and make chocolate copies of it to sell. Just a couple ideas.

This time of year many store are hiring temporary help for the Christmas rush.

Even if it is temporary any job is better than no job.

As Matt suggested food service job pay really well now days.

I used to make really good money selling on eBay.  Many of the folks I buy from go online buy the product from Walmart and have it shipped to me.  This can be done at Samsclub though both requre a membership.

There are other places that will drop ship though I dont know the names.

Everyone wants to work remote jobs so if I was looking for a quick job that would be my last choice unless I could find a way to start a quick money making business.

Well done for cutting your expenditure - that is the first step to feeling rich! Once you get a reasonable income stream you should stand in a good place.

Rachel had a similar question here: https://permies.com/t/260003/Income-Design-Box although it sounds like your requirement is a bit more immediate as bills don't pay themselves! So getting any job does sound like a good first step - there are lots of seasonal jobs around christmas (shops and postal come to mind for me as that is where I work and we definitely need more hands on deck at this time of year)
Good luck!

Yeah, good ideas. I'm already applying for basic retail in my area - anything to slow the financial bleeding (the going rate in most local stores won't cover my costs unless they offer full-time). Most places have already closed the doors in terms of hiring for the Christmas season, which is feeding my desperation.

I'm doing more research on tutoring - how/where to start offering tutoring, golden rules, etc. Thanks for the suggestion! I never would have thought of that on my own. I don't know a lot of people with kids in school, so the need is practically invisible to me.

I would like to sell art, I'm just not sure what people want, nor how to market it. I did make a few things to put into my Etsy shop (a few print on-demand and one digital download), but until I'm consistently cranking out art and slapping it on objects, I don't expect to see much traffic. My store's one purchase was enthusiastically made... but by a family member.

I am intimately familiar with cottage food industry work in Texas, so the part about molding chocolate piqued my interest, especially with valentine's day around the corner. Most of the work I do is fantasy animals, though. Is that something that people would be interested in having as food? I used to decorate cakes, but that's a little less feasible in my current living situation than it was when I first started the business. Something sturdier that can survive trips down a few flights of stairs whilst dodging yellow jackets would be a much better option.

@Nancy specifically thank you so much for reminding me of postal work. I never completed that application. No positions open in my area, unfortunately.

In this area, pretty good paying jobs are everywhere.  Fast food, home improvement stores, factory work are all hiring.  If you are fit, construction jobs can't get workers.  My brother works for a roofing company.  They would start you today, off the street and with no experience for $25 an hour.  Anywhere you see construction going on, you can stop and ask if they need day laborers.  Many times they will pay cash, but you may or may not have to work your butt off.  Some days, it's easy boring work like sweeping.  Other days you might be pushing a wheel barrow filled with bricks.  It's often hard, boring work, but it will pay your bills while you are waiting for something you like to come along.  All the trades are struggling to find help, so if it's something you are physically able to do, you have a great shot at getting something.  

Sarah Franc wrote:
I would like to sell art, I'm just not sure what people want, nor how to market it. I did make a few things to put into my Etsy shop (a few print on-demand and one digital download), but until I'm consistently cranking out art and slapping it on objects, I don't expect to see much traffic. My store's one purchase was enthusiastically made... but by a family member.

Hello Sarah!  


You can sell your art in the permies digital market!  
https://permies.com/f/323/digital-market



First, build a thread for your product, then you can get thread boost and make your thread seen by millions of people here on permies

Here is an example of thread boost:
https://permies.com/forums/topicBoost/boost/90200

Samantha Lewis wrote:You can sell your art in the permies digital market!

... ... !

Do people here tend to buy print-outs for seed packets?
Or for crafts to do in the winter months while their gardens are out of commission?
Or cut files for cricuts, silhouettes, laser cutters, that sort of thing?

Hello Sarah!

You can start doing S.K.I.P!  
If you can do a little hard work, prove your proficiency in basic permaculture and homesteading skills, you can own your own home.

Here is a link to the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnmUPAQYP8A


It is free!  Do it now while you have no job.  Pep 1 can be completed in a few weeks if you apply yourself.  

https://get-land.com/

Sarah Franc wrote:

Samantha Lewis wrote:You can sell your art in the permies digital market!

... ... !

Do people here tend to buy print-outs for seed packets?
Or for crafts to do in the winter months while their gardens are out of commission?
Or cut files for cricuts, silhouettes, laser cutters, that sort of thing?

Maybe post some of your art and see what people think.
Do you have some gifty things for Christmas?


You can earn a good income with the permies affiliate program.   We have a ton of products that focus on permaculture, homesteading, survival/prepping, low tech, off-grid, and sustainability.
Average rates from 50-80%
Here is a link to the affiliate program:
https://permies.com/wiki/affiliate

Hello, fellow urbanite here. It has been tough lately for me as well, thankfully I am still in school.



Potential Work Options:
If you have a college degree, there are English teacher programs in East Asia, you would need to apply for it and get a visa. But from what I've seen, the qualifications don't seem very high. Worth a try, I guess?

Try Amazon Mechanical Turk if you can't find a job. I haven't tried it, but I heard it's better than nothing.

Unironically, panhandling is an option. They look poor, but they make surprising amounts of money. Make a sad backstory or something. I don't know much about this field, however. It will work better in a city where cash is still normalized (like NYC).



Restructuring and Benefits:
What is your diet? Can the foods become cheaper? Rice and beans + cabbages can work for a while. I have survived on Starkist tuna packs (1 dollar per pack) + mashed potato cups (1 dollar per cup) for a while now, and nutrition-wise, I am doing fine. The lack of fiber can be fulfilled by eating coleslaw for cheap.

I used to volunteer at a food bank and at the end of my shift, I could take a few items. If you can't get a job, a similar arrangement may be an option. If you are in critical need, just ask them for food, they will be glad to help you.

Can you cut out any subscriptions? Perhaps it's time to sail to the high seas.

If you have a pool of cash and can't afford America, there are many nations where housing and food are cheaper. It might be risky, but consider it as an option.

The job market is tough now. See if there are any public benefits you can get (you just fill out a short form online), if you can get unemployment benefits, and if there are technical training programs that might give you a stipend. It will take a week or so, but if you get approved, you can sleep easy.



Misc.:
Do everything to avoid homelessness. Once you go into that pit, it's hard to climb out of it. Avoid the shelters like the plague, the employees treat you very poorly and it's hard to sleep. If you are about to get evicted, perhaps rent a car and live there for a while. The cold is bearable, but the way society views you isn't (which is why so many homeless end up addicts).

If you are willing to bet America's future is bright, go back to university and get student loans, for a field that has a bright future. If the future is bright, you should be able to pay them back quickly. If you believe otherwise, focus on cutting down all costs.



Regarding Arts:
Arts are saturated right now, there are also a lot of art school graduates looking for jobs and making their own crafts. The entertainment industry in America is not doing well, so a lot of people are also freelancing. The arrival of AI art doesn't help. It seems to be a dark era for your skills, which are being automated away. The general economy is also unhealthy, so there aren't many asking for commissions anymore.

That being said, if you want to sell art, find an underutilized fandom that still has a demand for merchandise. Many fandoms have significant amounts of people, but their owners don't make good merchandise for them, or the fans want "unique" stuff. Make consumerism your friend.

If you want to draw original stuff, you need a following, and to get a following, you need to start by making fanart (or making connections, but that also takes time). People start on Newgrounds, DeviantArt, etc. Use Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, etc., and go to relevant threads to advertise your art. If people like the show, they won't mind the art so long as it features the show's character.

Connect with fellow artists on Xitter/Bluesky/Discord, and build up a reputation. The art world is filled with nepotism and favoritism, so you might have to go to a few gatherings here and there. This won't be easy. However, once people like you, they will be the ones coming to you asking for art, instead of you having to actively market stuff. Perhaps make a Patreon also?

I personally recommend art as a hobby, because just like sports, most people can't survive off of it. But if you are determined, perhaps you can make it.

You said you are in a city? Alongside food pantries, public benefits, and networking, you could try selling art on the street. A tourist destination (or anywhere with foot traffic) will work, but make sure the local authorities are lenient. Ask the street vendors already there if they needed permits, and also ask nearby authorities about any unspoken rules.



I wish you the best of luck in these difficult times.