drafting for architects + engineers (much better of the two) since 1986. Dabbled in front end web design. Can hold my own writing. Starved as an artist. Like working with my hands and doing design. And learning. Self taught. Must. Get out. Of the conventional pigeon holery mold.

have you considered Soldier of Fortune?

[scratches head]

You don't want an answer from me. I just finally broke down and re-joined the necktie wearing corporate whoredom.

The only upside is regular pay checks and it might enable me to get into a live-work art residency at this funky little gallery/apartment complex.

Artists & Graphic Designers Market 2006.

In 2005, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. They promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the internet underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team....

I think it's a bad idea for commandos to be on crack.

Also, has anyone else noticed that yousendit.com is broken? I get a weird error message there.

[adds A&GDM book to amazon wishlist, pours more wine]

*shaves head into mohawk, puts in 7 earrings*

c'mon, let's go shoot shit up...

kayeee just lemme finish this bottle.

Dammit, Hannibal.

I sooo need a new career, contrary to some statements above the whole soldier of fortune thing gets to be a drag after a while.

Actually, I was thinking of breaking in to architecture, email me and we could swap advice.

*BUILD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS*

Maybe? Just a violent thought.

I have friends that work in machinery (cutting metal, shaping metal, &c ranging from fine work to heavy duty ultra industrial) who are trying to get into design.

You know those multi million dollar homes/apartments - do you think people who can afford them buy their kitchen counters and medicine cabinets from the Home Depot?

These friends of mine have the expertise in making stuff, but they don't really have anybody bonafide to create the ideas - and most importantly, sell them. Having contacts help. A lot.

The architects and engineers you've worked with - do they have any upscale clients? Know any skilled machinery people?

Synergize, baby. Ciao.

Hmm, if you want to follow Crytpical Envelopment's advice, perhaps learn to be a luthier.

If you're good with your hands, there's pretty good demand for fixing stringed instruments. Not for snotty-nosed highschool kids with $500 violins, but for members of orchestras and philharmonics and their $50,000 - $5,000,000 violins, violas, bass, &c.

My dad does it as a side business (well, more as favours and he gets renumerated fairly, but nowhere close to the kind of dough if his friends took their instruments to music stores and get ripped off) for extra cash and it can be rewarding.

What's your degree in? How old are you? Where are you?

I love it when a plan comes together.

As a hobbyist luthier, I think it would be a bad choice for someone who actually wants to make a living and eat and maybe go to a show once in awhile unless it is truly something you love to do more than anything else. Unless you have a reputation, no one is going to buy instruments you create. You can support yourself by doing repair work until you get that reputation as porpoise points out, but no person that makes a living with their instrument is going to trust it to just any joe shmoe with a hot hide glue pot and a chisel without some kind of history. porpoise' father must be quite talented if he's repairing 5 million dollar violins. You can apprentice in shops, and there are lutherie schools if you want to go that route. It is an extremely rewarding hobby, but not a vocation I'd choose to live on.

Just wait until the indie luthier rock genre takes off.

*waits*

Have you considered modeling?

It's worked wonders for dodgygeezer, jonmc, quonsar and I.

modeling? as in making models? Tell me more! And porpoise, I will definitely be in touch re your skilled machinery peeps.

I have to say that you guys so totally rock. I half expected everyone to tell me to go get What color is my parachute etc etc etc, and I'm so relieved that you all got it.

amberglow - I'm 43, female, in Raleigh NC and stagnating beyond description. I have a BA in psychology, which was more for the walking papers than anything else. I taught myself all my computer skills (including DOS back in the dark ages) and design skills. I actually thought to look you and jonmc up while we were in NYC earlier this week but it was our honeymoon and we were scoping the landscape for future trip focus.

um, a small sample of some stuff I've made is here, best viewed in Firefox, IE fucks up image spacing:

http://www.backburnerstudio.com

My tiny claim to fame is that Kathy Sedaris bought one of my head sculptures as a father's day present for Paul last year.

All I care about is that I can make stuff and eat. Perhaps even make stuff TO eat.

how about something dogooderish? at a non-profit or with a charitable org? (start volunteering somewhere now, with an eye to making it more steady? or go for informational interviews at all sorts of places to see what's around?)

i'm kinda midlifecrisising myself, since my Paris trip (i'm realizing that if i want to realize my dream of living in Europe, i'm running out of time really fast--i'll be 41 on Thursday)

Hmmm. I like the informational interview idea.

What's stopping the Europe thing?

the job thing, really...i can't see how i'm eligible to work, being non-EU and non-Commonwealth (except teaching English, which i don't think pays enough to live on).