Working from a New Home.

The three of us contemplate our immediate future.

Just the other day, my partner, Jess, and I quit our jobs, and with her son, upped sticks and moved two hours away to a new home in a new city so she can continue her education up here.

It's all been a bit scary: Not just for the usual reasons that moving house can be a tad scary, but as we are both now scrabbling to find jobs before our savings run out!

I've been trying to work out exactly what that means for me. 

At first I was excited: with no other work commitments, I could really focus on making illustration my main source of income, working from home, and making my own hours (although I know that's no mean feat!).

In truth, that is my dream! This would make me a very happy man indeed! Due to all the associated needs to do with having just moved into a new home though, I haven't yet found much time to really give it that concerted push yet. 
And as this went on, I've been feeling I should have some steady money coming already, so knowing that it will chip away at that idyllic image that seems so close, I've been applying for any and all part-time and flexible hours jobs I think I could do without feeling like stabbing myself with my own shoes after a week, including plenty that involve some illustration.

As the savings started to creep down, I despaired that I would have to take on a full-time job and be back in the position I was before: working so much to cover the bills, that I barely had time to put any time into my illustration.

Even so, no jobs have been forthcoming as of yet and I'd been starting to panic!

And then, out of the blue, just before I sat down for a bit to focus on drumming up some illustration work, I received two orders for portraits and two orders for wedding cards - having done pretty much no promotion for weeks.

It seems this might be doable! Maybe, with the time that I have now to really push and promote and work on this, I could make illustration as a self-employed artist my main income.

​One thing I do love is our study room!

It may be humble, but it's our glorious study room!

One of the things I've always wanted in life is a study where I can just go and shut myself away and get on with my work away from the clutter and distraction of the world. Most of the sociology books are Jess'. The arty ones are mine.

Right now, I'm settling down to work on the first of my commissions to be completed in our new study!

It has tea!

The road to the through the future is not clear, and there's a lot of variables to consider, but fingers crossed I can do this!

I​f anyone has any advice, please drop me a comment!