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[moonyprof]

 My union voted to agree to two-day-a-month furloughs for an entire year.  There's absolutely nothing nice to say about this:  I think it was a superlatively dumb move to make without any concessions or conditions, like reduced layoffs or decreased student fees, or maybe even the execs forgoing their car allowances for a while.  I don't want to

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[chibitoaster]

That's about where I am in my career. No, I'm not in anything as glorious as a design firm or a staff illustrator for a publishing house (is there even such a creature anymore?). I work at a grocery store that values artists, and hires two of us to do any of the signs and illustrations needed for the store.

No, it doesn't pay a whole lot. But I've got benefits, and I can do what I like to do. Do what I'm good at, and what I'm meant to do. And in my off time, I can take freelance illustration jobs, volunteer for the schools and libraries, and sometimes get teaching gigs.

Fall programming at one of the art organizations I have worked for has been cancelled. This year's summer program where I was teaching drawing classes was cut drastically, too, and we ended up working with a skeleton crew.

But I'm working. And the recession will pass. And I live in a state that is putting more money into art programs, and still values higher education. So, that's good.

I really hope things get better for you guys out there. I had considered CalArts after I graduated in 2005, but decided the cost of living was too steep, and I'd be better off sticking around here and working a bit to get my debt down before heading off to grad school. Now I'm not entirely sure that was the best course of action, but at least I'm not in the terrible position of graduating with an expensive degree in a time when it's nearly impossible for an artist even with an MFA to get a good job.