Career Changer Attempts Transitions to the Arts in Sour Economy
A Texas artist leaps from teaching to start his own art business during hard financial times. Responsible for a family of five, he wrestles with whether to fall back to what he knows, or to continue on with his artwork.
College Station, TX, July 20, 2010 --(PR.com)-- A career change for U.S. workers in a strong economy can be daunting. Making a second career change during a double-dip recession is downright frightening. John Grant, a College Station, Texas artist has done both.
First he bailed out of teaching in East Los Angeles County to pursue a childhood dream of being an architect. He enrolled in Texas A&M’s Master of Architecture Program in 2003. Though he graduated with honors, once Grant entered the architecture field, he felt like a fish out of water. Wired more like a Picasso than a Frank Lloyd Wright, Grant discovered that creativity was the sole domain of upper-level architectural principals. In the workaday architectural world, he learned that plans needed to be drawn with precision, not with flair and originality.
The second time around, Grant determined to make a career change out of architecture into the creative arts. So he began his new company called Grant Artistry. Drawing pencil portraits for clients across the country, Grant now receives more orders than he can complete. Commissions pour in from old friends on his website and complete strangers on Facebook. Budgeting his time to quickly complete commissions is an ongoing struggle for Grant. He currently devotes at least sixty hours to each portrait.
Grant states that his main problem is that he needs to increase his earnings (Currently he only charges $150-$300 for each portrait.). He wrestles with whether or not he should draw more, or drastically curtail his artwork and fall back into teaching. He recently completed a five month stint as a temporary teacher in a Bryan, Texas. But Grant would prefer not to return to teaching because classroom discipline was such a challenge.
Drawing portraits has been invigorating for Grant, especially because of positive feedback from clients. He relishes the praise he receives for his work. Grant says he also loves owning his own business because he is paid more depending upon how intensely he works.
Recently, Alastair Roughton, Grant’s former roommate from UC Santa Barbara, wrote him a note about a commission: “My parents are very impressed with your work, and appreciate the time spent and attention to detail.”
When asked about the difficulty of being an artist while trying to provide for his wife and three children during a down economy, Grant is realistic. He knows that there is a good chance that he will need to get another job. His wife is pursuing a teaching job in their town. But there is intense competition for those jobs. If she were hired, then they would have sufficient income so that Grant could draw portraits full-time and concentrate on growing his business.
At times, Grant’s efforts to nurture his small business create great tension in their marriage. He constantly adjusts his schedule. Often, he spends too much time on his artwork or improving his web site. His wife Julie shares that she becomes frustrated as she carries most of the load with their kids and household chores.
As he looks ahead, Grant is determined to keep drawing, even if it means burning the midnight oil. “I’ve been gifted with this ability. It’d be a shame to let my talents go to waste.”
About Grant Artistry
Grant Artistry receives commissions for realistic pencil portraits drawn from photographs. The owner and artist is John Grant.
Contact:
John Grant, owner
Grant Artistry
979-696-9678
###
First he bailed out of teaching in East Los Angeles County to pursue a childhood dream of being an architect. He enrolled in Texas A&M’s Master of Architecture Program in 2003. Though he graduated with honors, once Grant entered the architecture field, he felt like a fish out of water. Wired more like a Picasso than a Frank Lloyd Wright, Grant discovered that creativity was the sole domain of upper-level architectural principals. In the workaday architectural world, he learned that plans needed to be drawn with precision, not with flair and originality.
The second time around, Grant determined to make a career change out of architecture into the creative arts. So he began his new company called Grant Artistry. Drawing pencil portraits for clients across the country, Grant now receives more orders than he can complete. Commissions pour in from old friends on his website and complete strangers on Facebook. Budgeting his time to quickly complete commissions is an ongoing struggle for Grant. He currently devotes at least sixty hours to each portrait.
Grant states that his main problem is that he needs to increase his earnings (Currently he only charges $150-$300 for each portrait.). He wrestles with whether or not he should draw more, or drastically curtail his artwork and fall back into teaching. He recently completed a five month stint as a temporary teacher in a Bryan, Texas. But Grant would prefer not to return to teaching because classroom discipline was such a challenge.
Drawing portraits has been invigorating for Grant, especially because of positive feedback from clients. He relishes the praise he receives for his work. Grant says he also loves owning his own business because he is paid more depending upon how intensely he works.
Recently, Alastair Roughton, Grant’s former roommate from UC Santa Barbara, wrote him a note about a commission: “My parents are very impressed with your work, and appreciate the time spent and attention to detail.”
When asked about the difficulty of being an artist while trying to provide for his wife and three children during a down economy, Grant is realistic. He knows that there is a good chance that he will need to get another job. His wife is pursuing a teaching job in their town. But there is intense competition for those jobs. If she were hired, then they would have sufficient income so that Grant could draw portraits full-time and concentrate on growing his business.
At times, Grant’s efforts to nurture his small business create great tension in their marriage. He constantly adjusts his schedule. Often, he spends too much time on his artwork or improving his web site. His wife Julie shares that she becomes frustrated as she carries most of the load with their kids and household chores.
As he looks ahead, Grant is determined to keep drawing, even if it means burning the midnight oil. “I’ve been gifted with this ability. It’d be a shame to let my talents go to waste.”
About Grant Artistry
Grant Artistry receives commissions for realistic pencil portraits drawn from photographs. The owner and artist is John Grant.
Contact:
John Grant, owner
Grant Artistry
979-696-9678
###
Contact
Grant Artistry
John Grant
979-696-9678
www.grantartistry.com
cel 979-571-7550
John Grant
979-696-9678
www.grantartistry.com
cel 979-571-7550
Contact
Multimedia
Girl at the Seal Beach Pier
John Grant of Grant Artistry recently completed this drawing while visiting his parents in Seal Beach, CA.
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