Artist=Nomad?

[eskanto]

When I was younger and really started getting into art, what I didn't understand then, and what I'm only beginning to really understand now is that pursuing art, for many (not all) can be somewhat nomadic.

I've taken classes at FIT in New York, and I've met people who come from other countries who save whatever money they can and travel to New York to study, as well as people willing to leave New York and go to far flung places to study at an atelier or other school.

I'm so rooted in New York, everyone that I'm close to lives here, and it would be hard for me to leave. Is there anyone here that has considered going far to pursue art study or employment, and were they scared or apprehensive or excited? And if you did, at what point in your lives did you decide to take such a journey? Did you have children, were married or have no attachments? Were you broke, rich, or what? Was it hard finding a place to live or supporting yourselves while studying or working in another country? Please share!

[Peter Coene]

Farthest I've gone is Ventura CA to Pasadena CA. However, if Weta called me in I'd def. be willing to jump on a plane to New Zeland just as soon as I can find a dumpster to drop the stuff I don't want/need and get the rest of my junk to my parents' house.

[Blue]

There is a lot of truth in the fact that artists typically need to move around a lot for work. I can't find any work in CT, but my girl already has a dozen prospects in her field (psychology) so... it depends on where you live i think. Luckily i am just a train ride away from NYC so at least I'm not stuck in some obscure province away from the big cities.

[Qitsune]

It depends on what you are willing to do to access the work you really want. If you are happy to work for the local paper or graphic design company, good for you. If you want to work for MB, you better be ready to move. So far, it's the second time that I change city for work. The first time, they called me on friday and I started the following monday. The second time around, I had 1.5 week to quit the old job and haul my ass to the new job. So far it's only been in the same province however.

[hatface]

Farthest I've gone yet is Texas to Georgia to go to SCAD. And accumulate student loans. 1300 miles, roughly, and I may or may not move back to Texas to take up residence in Austin (only an hour from my home town), or out to Pasadena to pursue my Masters if I decide to continue being a student.

I've considered the conflict between needing to move to get the work I want and being a homebody. I love my family, and it's hard for them to travel because as a rule, none of us are incredibly well off. But... if I'm in the states, or in the general area, it's not impossible to visit. I'm far more leery of crossing the pond, as it were.

[Burtzum]

I'm broke, have no friends, have few belongings, and would relocate anywhere in the world for a kickass art job without batting an eye.

[JessiBean]

As soon as the job came along (which sounds like it fell on me, it didn't, it took 8 months of networking and revamping my portfolio) I dropped and ran. I moved from Virginia - just outside Washington, D.C. - to Houston Texas, which is 1,381 miles.

But it was more than worth it to be able to make art for a living. I had no money coming down here, but lucky for me I'm not married (my boyfriend lives in Austin, TX, which is fairly convenient - and he lived here before me, so he was able to help me out with relocation, as did my company)

[DavePalumbo]

I don't know, I think that anyone passionate about what they want to do will be willing to travel great distances for study and plenty of non-art jobs cause people to relocate to very strange places. I just met a man who was moving from Chicago to Sparks Nevada because his wife works for Verizon and got promoted. My dad is a teacher and he's moved alot throughout his career (texas, ohio, michigan, pennsylvania, north carolina that I recall), same with a number of my relatives who all have fairly square jobs.

Working as a freelancer is kind of the opposite. You have the flexibility to work from where ever you please but never much cause to move once you find where you're comfortable.