Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Can art be a career... because I chose the wrong one?

The "sequester" is making things difficult at my house. My husband's job is being affected. He relies on availability of overtime work to make ends meet, and to allow me to stay home with my babies.

With the drying up of overtime and possible cutting back on hours looming ahead of us due to the Governments inability to create and follow a budget, we have been discussing the possible need for me to go back to work.

I feel hopelessly overwhelmed by the prospect of finding an architecture job. The Architecture field does not seem to be thriving these days, so I am concerned that there will be no jobs available. The nature of Architecture work does not lend itself easily to part time or temporary work. Companies want people who can work full time or more and who do not have the concerns that children bring to a Mother's soul.

I love Architecture and wish that it could fit well into a life with kids but have not yet found the right opportunity to make that happen. I would love to design Churches that bring glory to God, but right now I am teaching my kids to give glory to God. Can anything beat hearing your two year old sing Jesus loves me or answering my four year old's questions about Jesus and Heaven?

I strongly feel that my children need me to be here for them, my baby is only six months old and wants to nurse every few hours (day and night).

I am wishing that I had made some other career decisions. Why didn't I consider raising children when I decided to study architecture?

 
Painting would be a perfect career to combine with mothering... if only I could sell paintings. It can be done from home and at times convenient to me.  But I don't know how to begin to make any money off of my paintings. I don't know how to find a market.

I really don't know how to make it happen NOW so that I can keep our family from foundering.
I am trusting that God will provide for us and will open paths, but it can be hard to be patient when I don't know what I should be doing. Should I be looking for architecture work? Some other kind of work? Should I be trying to sell my paintings? Should I be praying that my husbands job situation improves and be can have more assurance of being able to cover the bills? Maybe all of the above?

Obviously this situation is weighing heavily on my heart since I am writing this blog post at 4:30am and have slept for no more than an hour tonight. But I have had time to pray the rosary, all four sets of mysteries, to Rosary Army's scriptural rosary audio. (I may have dosed off for a few minutes) But an opportunity to meditate on the life of Christ through all 20 mysteries does not happen often in the life of a mother with three young children.

If anyone has any advice I would love to hear your suggestions. And your prayers are always welcome and appreciated.

1 comment:

  1. Have you considered a summer art program for children in your neighborhood? 3 days-try it once, limit 5 kids- adjust and try another one the next month. may not be much money at first, but all those mothers will appreciate not having to drive their kids anywhere.

    also contacting the local home school coops and making your services available.

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