I started taking some art classes starting in about 4th grade. I started drawing and painting then. Then about 7th grade was when anime exploded with Pokemon, DBZ and Sailor Moon and I quickly got really into it and started drawing anime-style.
In high school, my group of friends and I would regularly draw. We were all taking art classes together too. I also enjoyed science and had to decide if I wanted to pursue science or art. After taking a computer class with Photoshop... I can't remember, 6, 7, 8? and talking with teachers, I decided to pursue the degree for graphic design so I went into that.
My first and second years of college were extremely tough and were a strain on my mental health. In 2nd year, I considered switching to fine arts for my degree. I didn't feel cut out for design at all. All my classmates either had a good design sense starting out or they had been doing design work before. I felt inferior and struggled.
But I'm also a stubborn person and I wanted to stay in graphic design so I could have more career opportunities. When I became a third year, I started to understand more of my weaknesses and was able to gain a bit of design sense. I still was far from perfect but I felt some direction and ability now. Fourth year, again nowhere near the level of everyone else, but feeling better.
And when I reached my 4th year and we all had our senior projects/theses to do, I saw the work of my fellow graphic designers and I saw the work of the fine arts students... and I felt INCREDIBLY happy with my decision to stay as a graphic designer. When I saw the fine arts exhibitions, I found much of it to just be literal trash that was collected and put on display. Pretty daring if it's the 1920s, not so much in 2008.
So then with new skills I was able to graduate and move back home. Except I graduated in 2008 when the economy was in a great recession and few jobs were available. I moved in with my boyfriend (now he's my husband) and some friends. It was a difficult time because I searched and searched and, even though our capital city is called "The Creative Capital", I found there were NO jobs for entry level designers. I worked at Stop & Shop for two weeks and couldn't stand it. I was supposed to get a job at Michael's, but whoever interviewed me and had me fill out paperwork was incompetent and fired right before I could get hired.
I finally landed some luck and worked at a small art gallery shop. It was part time, minimum wage. About this time, Obamacare passed. My husband and I JUST missed out on the new age benefits though, so we were still struggling. I kept searching.
5 years passed of me working the part time job and struggling to find anything. But FINALLY break through! I was able to get an internship at a place that makes class rings where we were collecting and vectorizing images. I was determined to get a full time job there, and everyone loved me... except the art director But it was for the better anyway. Right after the internship ended, I got married and right after that I found a new place that was hiring. They were a new company and had a "test" (red flag) to do. I did that and lo and behold - I was able to be hired! After 5 years of struggling, I finally had a full time job with BENEFITS. I was able to get a new (used) car and had health insurance! It changed our lives. We could afford a nicer place to live on our own.
That went really well until we found INCREDIBLE mismanagement by higher ups which caused our office to shut down. I worked from home for a while until I eventually was also let go. Fortunately, I was able to get a new job shortly after through word of mouth. And now I'm here, still at the job for 2.5 years now!
That is my professional art story. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
EDIT: I realized my post, as long as it is, doesn't really talk about the art being a job vs hobby kind of thing. When it comes to design, I have always done it with having a job in mind at the end, so I have never really gotten the "Get a real job" from anyone. It is a bit difficult though because some people think it's a "fun job" and we're willing to do this type of work for "contests" and such. There was an event that happened where I live where our city had a huge advertising campaign that cost a ton of money and got a LOT of negative feedback. There was a logo designed that cost hundreds of thousands, I think?
And people responded to it with "We have so many wonderful artists here, why didn't they make it a contest!" and "They could have had all local businesses chip in gift cards as prizes!" Completely and totally belittling my job. You wouldn't pay a doctor in gift cards? Or even a hair stylist? So why is it okay for a logo designer?
I have gotten a little bit more on the comic side of things. Like in high school, my art teacher thought all anime art was plagiarism. Even the original characters we drew. All plagiarism. And my mom is a bit "If it doesn't make money, don't do it".