Pretty sure that's what most of us do. I work full-time as a games artist on top of my webcomic. It can get brutal, and you definitely hit a limit of what you can do at some point - I can't do commissions, or contribute to anthologies, or anything without compromising my webcomic. If I were to have a family and a long commute on top of that, there's just no way I'd do a webcomic at any regular schedule at all.

So I can definitely see why people try to get away from that. Of course, starving and being homeless isn't exactly helping when it comes to comic creation either.

I think my optimal solution would be freelancing and taking as many jobs as I need to depending on how my webcomic's doing money wise - I'd definitely set up a patreon if more money meant more time to work on the comic. Unfortunately at the moment I doubt I'd make enough money to sustain myself to make that jump. But it's a #lifegoal.

But it does create this vicious circle where you can't progress because of the job. Full time job means less time, less time means no commissions/promo work/extras for patreon, which means it's harder to leave full time job for freelance.

Tl;dr; LIFE IS HARD.

I think that more comic artists might benefit from a strategic choice in terms of employment. To me, what makes the most sense is bartending. Here's why:

• You can work doubles, even triples if you're really brave. What that means is that you can consolidate all of your hours into fewer days. For instance, when I'm between gigs, I work full-time hours: but I only work Wednesdays and Thursdays. It makes for two really long days, but then I have five days off to pursue writing, promoting my comic, working on my game, etc.

• Bartenders, at the right restaurant or bar, make a very solid hourly rate when you average out the tips. It's absolutely a livable wage comparable to office work, teaching, etc.

• It's a job that challenges you physically and socially. When most of what you do is online, it's healthy to get the heart racing for a few days a week, and it's good for the soul and brain to have a job as social as being a bartender. Bartending feeds the parts of personal well-being and health that art and the internet often neglect.

• You meet a lot of people that you wouldn't otherwise. Inevitably, you are going to meet people (who live near you) that might be able to help your projects in various ways. You might meet other artists, marketing meisters, writers, graphic/website designers, people who just simply love comics and will become regular subscribers to yours, etc/etc. A regular of yours at the bar can easily become a regular of yours for your other projects -- no matter what sort of art you are doing (comics, theatre, writing, music, etc).

Just some food for thought. I think that there's probably some other great jobs to pair with a life of chasing your dreams too, but I've found that bartending is oftentimes overlooked. It's not hard to start to learn how to bartend, either by teaching yourself, or getting a job as a server and asking your bosses to train you behind the bar consistently, or grabbing a job at a bar that's willing to train you from the get go.

Also, everyone loves their bartender.

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My full time job are commissions and it leaves me no time to experiment with new things, extra artwork, and time for my comics. I hardly make enough money. I don't recommend this rout. Liston to the other people here. =3

Well, why can't you? It's possible to achieve this. Just have to find the job and be careful that it's not a terrible job that'll leave you drained each night. Easy!

The key, for me, is not to fall into a rut, in any circumstance (employed at a crap job or unemployed). If you don't like the regular job you currently have, hunt for a new one while you're still employed. Job hunting will cut into your dream chasing time and it can feel miserable searching job boards, however, when you finally land the stable regular job that's treating you well while you pursue your dream, it's magical.

It took me from 2007 to 2013 to finally achieve this level, and I've worked some very terrible job during that time, reached some very depressing lows, and was even completely unemployed in the middle of that time (not by choice), however, that doesn't have to be the status quo. Each night after a terrible day at work, I'd spend at least 1 hour to 2 hours job hunting before working on comics. Job Recruiters are very helpful, however, definitely had to keep an eye out for frauds (like everything else).

I did some job hopping. Animator at a simulation company for 1 yr to Caricature Artist at Seaworld for 3 yrs to Rhinestone GemMaster Designer for 3 yrs to finally my current golden regular job Animator (finally again).

Never give up, Never surrender! Goonies never say die! Kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight! And stay positive and persistent for change.

Because then you can't do what you love for a living? Pretty simple mate. People want to make a living something they are good at and like to do it. They don't want to be stuck in a shitty factory, come back home tired and exhausted and don't have time for their hobby.

I think the goal is to be making enough money doing the thing you're passionate about that you don't need to work a day job... but most people do work day jobs when they're working up to that.

I have a day job right now, but it can be stressful to work at that job then come home and do freelance art and then after that try to do personal stuff and my own comic as well. Ideally, I'd like to just be a freelance artists and work on my own comic and not have to have a day job on top of that.

Long and short of it though, most of the artists I know DO work regular jobs while trying to get their footing in the field of their choosing.

I... I don't know what to say here. Like @Kaykedrawsthings said, it can be stressful and it's less likely you will achieve your goal having full-time job. Sometimes it's 8 hours, sometimes 10, sometimes you work on sundays. The truth is you are not picking your job, you only care about paying the bills. And I personally can't imagine to not do comics. It's my passion, something I love, it's natural I would want it to become my full-time job. I'm just a poor peasant and I'm looking for a job by myself. Does that mean I'm looking for excuses to not work? No. I'm not saying "but maaa, I'm making 20 dollars, I do have a job!" The last one is true tho. Making comics require a lot of effort and time. It is a job.
It is achievable to have both, but it's way more difficult.

Funnily enough, my job is the reason I'm able to get so many pages done in a week. I'd probably be less stressed if I just had the comic to worry about, but I still kinda count myself lucky in a way...

....Maybe I should've become a bartender.....

If that was easier said then done I'll be in heaven right now. But sadly that doesn't pay the bill or basic needs for everyday life. The ones that do I envy you.(jk)
So for now it's just a fun hobby until I'm done with my current work.

I do have a regular, full-time job, faaaaaaaar from making comics and such, and I keep "chasing my dreams". Time is not a problem, even if I come back home at 7pm and then I work on comics or other hobbies until 1am.
The problem is that after years and years trying "chasing the dream" and you still see no good news in that sense (translated: make your hobby your job -or second job- in some ways, or even get some attention), you start to be frustrated. AND, if you have a shitty, unsatisfying job you are forced to do because there are bills to pay, a family to care about, it's even more frustrating.
Believing in your dreams, keep working on them to make them come true, doesn't mean you will be successful and lead to a happy ending. And no, it doesn't "Just take time", at least according to my experience.

Because unfortunately life isn't cleanly split into 'work' and 'play' and as @AffectedMind said:

I already have a job. It takes up 80% of my time and I'm tired when I get home from it. Then there's everything else; family, friends, house, bills, car, cleaning, pets, food, keeping healthy...Living is hard, and before you know it the remaining 20% of time you had left isn't spent pursuing what you love, it's spent doing what you must. Responsibilities come first. Grandma moving house? Leaky shower? Sick pet? Need to catch up on sleep? Looks like that linework will have to wait. There goes another week.

I'll probably never publish my comic or make art for a living. Everything about it requires time and energy and luck I don't have. That might not always be the case, but when I do have the opportunity to try what will I be risking to give it a shot? The second income that supports my house and family? My whole income? The career I spent years trying to build? It's a gamble and the only choice is to go all in or keep dribbling along. Right now I'm dribbling, and I'll keep dribbling until the danger of failure isn't so real.

I'm physically handicapped and can't work anymore. I got all the time in the world to draw. Lucky me?????? I guess... not really... fml...

Would honestly rather have a job that gave me a dependable paycheck that covered bills then the inconstant mess that is commissions, patreon, tips, ad revenue and whatnot, but it is kinda nice to not feel like your wasting time (one job I had was 2 hours on the bus for a 4 hour shift where I might end up with 2 customers in the day because it's winter and people generally don't get tattoos in the winter) Though I would also count commissions as tedious ****ing work that I would rather not have to EVER do.

Wasnt that most of us do? I mean most of my artist friends had steady jobs like accountant, nurse, teachers etc etc and they did comic/arts too. I also has some friends who work in art-related company and had a steady income. Those who's income from commissions, drawing comic (free-lance), Im kinda amaze bcoz it need lots of hardwork and connections to do that.

I wish my dreams made money, but they don't (right now anyway), so I work full time as a video producer for the local University. Like others have said, this does make it more difficult to make your dreams profitable. Working full time = less time to work on comics, which makes it difficult to improve on them.
I'm working full time to support my family and put my husband through college, but my plain is to be able to do comics and writing full time once he is graduated and making the income.
Life. Life just gets in the way of life