Ask CYOO: How does your full time job complement your job as an illustrator?

After a long break, my advice column Ask CYOO is back! Thank you to this lovely reader for submitting two very thoughtful questions, which I’ll be breaking up into separate posts.

I’m always thrilled to receive new questions from you all. You can ask me anything that might help you move forward in your art and life, whether it’s regarding time management, focus, practices for reflection and inspiration, feelings of inadequacy, finance woes, or anything else that is coming in between you and your art!

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Dear CYOO,

How does your full-time job complement or inspire your job as an illustrator, if at all? I was in tech, and am currently trying to pivot careers (from finance into product management) as I feel like there are parallels in being a creative with the product management profession.

Pivoting careers is an exciting step, and I applaud you for making moves toward a field you feel more aligned with! Like you, I currently work in tech—I’ve worked as a software engineer for eight years now. I pivoted to software engineering from digital marketing because I wanted to make more tangible things rather than sell them.

In seeking a full time job that is aligned with your creative self, it’s best to come to terms early on that every job is a “shit sandwich”. All jobs will suck some of the time, even being a full time artist or illustrator! You only know through working various jobs which types of shittiness you can handle with relative grace and ease, and which feel horrible and inauthentic.

Shitty things that I can handle:

• Context switching, multitasking

• Working independently

• Continuous learning

• Staring at a computer for long periods of time

Shitty things I struggle with:

• Selling things I don’t believe in

• Lacking ownership over my work

• Lots of meetings

• Cliques and non-work related gossip

• Body pain/fatigue

Thankfully, everything on the first list that I’ve developed and built a tolerance for in my day job is super applicable to being a freelance illustrator/artist! And nothing on the second list surfaces too often—if it does, I reflect on where I can make changes and pivot direction.

Tip: Make a list with shitty aspects of a job that you can handle with relative ease, and a list with shitty aspects that you’d struggle with or find painful. Based on your two lists, what kind of day job might support your flavor of “shit sandwich”?

A photo of me taken by my coworker while setting up for a group exhibit, following a five-week residency that I was able to go on by saving up PTO. It may not be obvious, but my day job made this residency and photo possible!

The work I do during my day job does not particularly inspire my art. It certainly could, as there are wonderful artist projects that mesh engineering and art in a genuine and heartfelt way, such as Amy Wibowo’s BubbleSort Zines. I’ve gotten plenty of suggestions from others who assume that because I work in tech and am an artist, I must naturally be interested in NFTs, AI art, or coding websites with cool animations.

There may have been a time earlier in my career that I would have found these newer technologies exciting, but I’ve found that the more I practice art, the more I’m fascinated by shedding layers of complexity and honoring analog mediums. I spent much of my childhood disembodied because of my early usage of the internet. I relied on my computer for play rather than engaging in tactile activities such as drawing or sports. Because of this I have the advantage of being computer savvy and was able to transition to software engineering without much struggle, but it also means that as an adult I have needed to reparent myself and try different forms of play and movement for healthier self-expression and healing.

I share this to point out that what you may be good at (= possible day job) may be at odds with your creative practice, and that’s okay! It does not have to complement or inspire in visible ways. Still, my day job does have a multitude of positive effects on my practice:

• Funds to purchase supplies, take classes, and expand my art business. Also the ability to say no to opportunities that don’t feel right or don’t pay fairly

• Connection with a community of coworkers who support my art

• Paid time off to be able to recharge (and make art)

• Familiarity with various aspects of business and communication

• Limitations on my time and schedule so that I use my time more efficiently and decrease overthinking

Tip: Watch out for the thinking trap that your day job and creative practice need to perfectly align. We are all works in progress! Orient your job around what you need most to have your needs met. Is it more time? Money? Predictability? Community?

In a few weeks, I’ll be teaching a free food illustration workshop with Korean American Artist Collective! Come watch me teach my first class (!) where we’ll emphasize play, energy, and simplicity in our illustrations while referring to photos of delicious Korean summer-themed food.

My shop is still open for a few more weeks before I close it for summer break. Be sure to check out my illustrated zine “The Dress” and the very cute bunny magnet!