Be A Working Artist, not a Waiter

• Left college 1995ish
• Moved to NYC 1997
• Day Job Free since 2005

I was day job free in 2005 because of moves I started making in 2002. But I could have been day job free much sooner, so I hope to inspire some young artists to do what I started in my 30s.

Here is a summary of my advice.

• Listen to advice from working working artists not non working talent at your day job. Bitter waiters will fill your ears with useless, and some times, harmful “knowledge”.
• Put as much time into your craft as you do working your day job and you will find work and income. Get jobs in the industry and / or use your talents. ALWAYS BE CREATING. ALWAYS BE NETWORKING. Teach a class, intern with agents/casting directors, submit for every stage and on screen job that pays something, even a stipend. A non union commercial can pay as much as a week of restaurant/retail work in a single day. R
• Reduce your over head. Don’t live beyond your means. Budget meals, travel, housing. Save a subway swipe by leaving early and walking 30 minutes. Rent a room. Prepare your own meals.
• Embrace technology like an entrepreneur. Use social media to promote your self organically. Don’t waste the tools and don’t be a used car salesman. Also use Clubhouse, Zoom and Other online platforms to create study groups to read plays, share monologues etc. Save $1000s in old school marketing, rehearsal rooms etc. Things we all did before online platforms.
• Don’t go into debt to be an artist. I would never say don’t go to school. You need to train. But you also will unlikely be able to pay off loans as an actor. Account for every dime you spend, including tuition. Also, my experience working pros have better knowledge on how to get work than teachers. I had a lot of great teachers over the years, no bad ones, but even in college the best advice and training came from the part-timers, there just to make some cash and benefits, but they worked in local theater, TV and film. THEY told me how to get work.
• Train yourself for free. You don’t know what you don’t know BUT you can be self disciplined. Read a new play every week. Learn a new monologue and/or song every month. Save your cash for the master training. Do the self motivation and baby steps.
• ROI: RETURN ON INVESTMENT. This is a key business concept too many artists ignore. Before spending a small fortune on headshots, think what do you really need.
• Create opportunity. Gather friends and create a showcase. Learn Improv and Stand Up Comedy.
• Watch shows about business. Shark Tank, The Profit, etc. Listen to the advice they give about hustling on a dime. Your career is your business.
• Sweat equity. Business / Life 101. Usually when we don’t have cash we have time. Work smart AND hard!!! No one gets discovered sitting on their couch waiting for the phone to ring. Bring in the right place at the right time requires getting out there.
• Don’t burn bridges!!!! You never know when a nobody becomes a somebody. In fact there are no nobodies. Treat all with value and you will get referrals from where you least expect it. Be someone folks want to work with and you will find work. This is hard when you are freaking about cash, career etc. Don’t become that bitter waiters loaded with bad advise.