I feel jealous that I’ll never achieve my dreams

[mysterionz]

I’m 18 years old and I’m stuck at the same part time job I’ve had since I was sixteen, where I haven’t been promoted. One tiktokker I look up to (who’s also my age) is unemployed and they make more than I would in a month (minimum wage in Florida is 11/hour currently) being a content creator after they had to go live on their own (which they presumably got enough funds to do as they set up a GFM for it), my mom would say this is absolute scammage as there’s no way a young adult would be able to make that much. How can I handle this/should I believe anyone that claims they’re able to make a living off their hobby alone?

job in question is front service clerk (bagger) in a supermarket, if I went to a different department, I could potentially make more. Did some calculations and I kinda call scammage on making $750USD in a month from just art alone.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Never compare yourself against anybody. Never. What are your goals? How much will your goals cost in $$$ and your time. There are always tradeoffs. What other work is open to you and what are the pay scales? Women are getting into the skilled trades more and more. As a journeyman you earn even when you are being trained.

My dreams were constantly changing. Yet, my career spanned basic research in breast cancer to designing nuclear isotope processes to testing drug processes to demonstrate to the FDA that they were capable and highly reproducible, so I was never without remunerative work. It was a career of constantly learning, which played very well with my being on the spectrum.

 

[mysterionz]

Never compare yourself against anybody. Never. What are your goals? How much will your goals cost in $$$ and your time. There are always tradeoffs. What other work is open to you and what are the pay scales? Women are getting into the skilled trades more and more. As a journeyman you earn even when you are being trained.

Get promoted at my job and get better at art, maybe start an online store one day

 

[Rodafina]

Did some calculations and I kinda call scammage on making $750USD in a month from just art alone.

Definitely scammage. Most people who are able to make money from art in the beginning have some serious financial help with the start up.

Remember that influencers and tick-tockers operate under the guise of illusion and everything is meant to look shinier, easier, and more lucrative than it really is. Believe in yourself, and your own skills.

 

[mysterionz]

Definitely scammage. Most people who are able to make money from art in the beginning have some serious financial help with the start up.

It was like $500 from online shop, and $300 from commissions and patreon alone. I don’t believe this unless the person in question is really successful like MrBeast or PewDiePie/a well known art YouTuber

 

[Rodafina]

How can I handle this/should I believe anyone that claims they’re able to make a living off their hobby alone?

Only believe them if they are presenting a whole picture to you and saying that it is awesome and lucrative but also it was hard in some ways, or they had help or outside financial resources. I think most people who have actually tried to make a living off of art had to struggle to do so, especially in the beginning, and they had to make sacrifices in life choices to support being broke most of the time.

If anyone is telling you that some thing is so easy and awesome and perfect, it is likely untrue. Or at least, not the entire truth.

 

[mysterionz]

Definitely scammage. Most people who are able to make money from art in the beginning have some serious financial help with the start up.

Remember that influencers and tick-tockers operate under the guise of illusion and everything is meant to look shinier, easier, and more lucrative than it really is. Believe in yourself, and your own skills.

like go fund me’s and stuff?

 

[Rodafina]

It was like $500 from online shop, and $300 from commissions and patreon alone. I don’t believe this unless the person in question is really successful like MrBeast or PewDiePie/a well known art YouTuber

With most artistic endeavors, it is rarely a steady income. It tends to fluctuate quite a lot, and no one tells you about the dry spells when they are not selling $500 worth of things from an online shop.

Patreon also requires you to continually beg people for money.

 

[mysterionz]

With most artistic endeavors, it is rarely a steady income. It tends to fluctuate quite a lot, and no one tells you about the dry spells when they are not selling $500 worth of things from an online shop.

Patreon also requires you to continually beg people for money.

So I guess it’s a good thing? I work 24 hours across five shifts this week and 21.50 across five shifts next week

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Get promoted at my job and get better at art, maybe start an online store one day

Will any of that cover housing, utilities, and food costs? Gotta think of your basic needs first. Then there is transportation.

 

[mysterionz]

Will any of that cover housing, utilities, and food costs? Gotta think of your basic needs first. Then there is transportation.

I don’t drive a car yet. My dad takes me to and from work.

 

[Rodafina]

like go fund me’s and stuff?

But this is just getting other people to pay for your art dreams. It’s a new way to get investors, I suppose, but it is not always successful. It seems like a route for people who already know folks with a lot of disposable income. It’s not very realistic in my view.

Nevertheless, your generation is facing a whole new dynamic here. There was no such thing as a go fund me or influencers when I was 18, so the challenges you are facing now and the jealousy you feel is very common, as I understand it. Seeing these shiny lives over the Internet has an intense and negative impact on how we feel about ourselves… There is a lot of research on this, and I don’t think Internet entrepreneurs/influencers are always forthcoming and how they got to where they are and if they really are as successful as they seem.

 

[mysterionz]

But this is just getting other people to pay for your art dreams. It’s a new way to get investors, I suppose, but it is not always successful. It seems like a route for people who already know folks with a lot of disposable income. It’s not very realistic in my view.

Nevertheless, your generation is facing a whole new dynamic here. There was no such thing as a go fund me or influencers when I was 18, so the challenges you are facing now and the jealousy you feel is very common, as I understand it. Seeing these shiny lives over the Internet has an intense and negative impact on how we feel about ourselves… There is a lot of research on this, and I don’t think Internet entrepreneurs/influencers are always forthcoming and how they got to where they are and if they really are as successful as they seem.

*cartmanland flashbacks*. A South Park episode where cartman gets a million dollars after his grandma passes and he blows it all on a theme park, only to regret it later on.

 

[Rodafina]

So I guess it’s a good thing? I work 24 hours across five shifts this week and 21.50 across five shifts next week

This is definitely a steady income, having a scheduled shift with this many hours.

Two years, from 16 to 18 at the same job, should get you an excellent reference if you wanted to try something that feels like a step up. Maybe another position at the same place, or possibly something new for you.

Having a solid reference is a really valuable thing, and can open doors to better jobs.

 

[Outdated]

There is no easy way Erika. Reliable income is more important than an occasional quick rush of cash. That allows you to plan your future.

The trick is to think of a better paid job that you would like to do, and then study to get the qualifications you need to get that sort of job while still keeping your current job.

And don't stress so much, you're still only 18, you've got a lot of years ahead of you yet. There's plenty of time to get yourself established.

 

[mysterionz]

This is definitely a steady income, having a scheduled shift with this many hours.

Two years, from 16 to 18 at the same job, should get you an excellent reference if you wanted to try something that feels like a step up. Maybe another position at the same place, or possibly something new for you.

Having a solid reference is a really valuable thing, and can open doors to better jobs.

I’m hitting two years at my job in January!
The GFM this person posted had a 10K goal with only $500 raised.. that + what they made from commissions and stuff won’t be enough to last long in an apartment.

 

[Rodafina]

I’m hitting two years at my job in January!

I’m not here to judge people, but to me, working hard for two years and keeping a job from 16 to 18 deserves a ton of respect and is an indicator of great character, a good work ethic, and a promising future.

 

[Rodafina]

Also, there is quite a lot of competition now with go fund me, patreon, and social media influencers. There was a time when it was a niche market, but now, you will have much competition.

 

[mysterionz]

Some of the stuff I have purchased was from my savings account (mostly my iPad + Apple Pencil, which equated close to $1000). My copics were bought with scholarship money I got when I was online schooled (for educational/school use only items like laptops/technology)

sometimes i will buy an Amazon gift card and purchase stuff for my use (t shirt, art stuff, plushies, etc). My mom has my card saved to her Amazon acc and she can buy stuff from her prime Amazon acc that gets charged on my card since I don’t have Amazon prime.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I don’t drive a car yet. My dad takes me to and from work.

How much will it be to live independently? When I went to do that, all I could afford was a rental in a lower working class neighborhood, among the working poor. Getting started, one learns to eat humble pie.

Goal 1, live independently.
Goal 2, buy a car.
Goal 3, Research position.
Goal 4, Social involvement.
Goal 5, Intimate relationship