Sounds like the majority of the people involved don't have a steady source of income, because most don't make the big bucks. What a way to make a living....
I'm sure Randy could chime in with stories on this matter. It isn't easy to sell a story. You've got a lot of competition and a limited number of buyers, and there's no "sure thing" that can't be undone by a couple of meetings gone wrong. And Staff Writers are only one form of screen writers. They are indeed hired for regular, recurring writing roles and are called on to provide consistent storytelling. But even then, they may still end up earning a good portion of their income in the form of royalties. The work isn't anywhere near constant, and your continued employment is in no way assured.
The business of entertainment is tough for everyone involved. There are certainly a select few who rake in tons of cash and live on autopilot, but for each of those there are hundreds of others struggling to get a part or sell a story idea.
I'm not saying you don't need to be enjoying/in love with your work, but rather that the key to distinguishing the hobby from the job is almost entirely in how income is measured. You went into teaching because you held an interest in it *and* foresaw the ability to earn income in it on a reliable basis. You happen to be a bit of an exception in that you do take a great deal of joy in doing your work, but it still is work, a profession you perform to earn consistent income.
Artists of all sorts walk a fine line. Demand for commissioned work has almost always been well below the supply of those creating it. At what point does the hobby of painting become a career? When does a hobbyist pianist become a performer? Is it the money? Is it the investment of time? Maybe it's the training? Perhaps it is simply the attribution of the title itself? I don't think I know the answer to that particular set of questions.
[QUOTE=croxis;166753]Because (generally) the more creative professions isn't about making a living, it is about doing what you love and hope you might get paid for it.[/QUOTE]
The notion of a starving artist probably gets its roots from that concept, but at the end of the day, everyone has bills to pay. So I can imagine that quite a few artists also have a day job. Only those who already have the means to live without having to worry about next month's rent can completely focus on their art.
[QUOTE]So me going into teaching is a hobby?[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure you can equate teaching with creativity [I]per se[/I], some courses may encourage it, while others absolutely don't. I would even go so far to say that many traditional courses only give you a very limited range of said creativity. My history teacher always told me I had a wild imagination. :D
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The business of entertainment is tough for everyone involved. There are certainly a select few who rake in tons of cash and live on autopilot, but for each of those there are hundreds of others struggling to get a part or sell a story idea.
Artists of all sorts walk a fine line. Demand for commissioned work has almost always been well below the supply of those creating it. At what point does the hobby of painting become a career? When does a hobbyist pianist become a performer? Is it the money? Is it the investment of time? Maybe it's the training? Perhaps it is simply the attribution of the title itself? I don't think I know the answer to that particular set of questions.
The notion of a starving artist probably gets its roots from that concept, but at the end of the day, everyone has bills to pay. So I can imagine that quite a few artists also have a day job. Only those who already have the means to live without having to worry about next month's rent can completely focus on their art.
[QUOTE]So me going into teaching is a hobby?[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure you can equate teaching with creativity [I]per se[/I], some courses may encourage it, while others absolutely don't. I would even go so far to say that many traditional courses only give you a very limited range of said creativity. My history teacher always told me I had a wild imagination. :D
Its what significant others who want to be tax accountants are for.
Its what significant others who want to be tax accountants are for.[/QUOTE]
hahahaha.....I really should marry a doctor.