The act of working a second job, known better as moonlighting, generally isn’t something you brag about. People might start asking questions you don’t want to answer, or doubt your commitment to your first job. The creative world is no exception. In my first column for 3 Quarks Daily, I explore artists with day jobs, the working arrangements that help artists keep the lights on when their work isn’t in the spotlight (and sometimes, when it is!). I make the case that a day job, rather than being seen as a temporary contingency plan, can actually be a foundation to an artist’s success. 

There was a lot of material I couldn’t find a place for in this article. Here are some I wanted to highlight:

• A student, feeling depressed about trying to make a living as a musician in New York  City, messaged their teacher Max Alper, who wrote an incredible response (I previously mentioned here)
• Sara Benincasa’s essay makes the case that real artists have day jobs
• Derek Sivers makes the case for doing a well-paying job for money, and separately pursuing your art for love
• A paper suggesting that side hustles enriched day job performance (moreso than distracting away from it)
• The first person who ran a mile in under four minutes was a med school student named Roger Bannister. He eventually became a neurologist. He was the spitting image of what running shoe brand Tracksmith describes as “non-professional yet competitive,” a phrase which resonates deeply with me
• Molly Conway wrote about the modern inclination to turn activities we love into activities we monetize
• Isaac Asimov makes the case that the secret to academic freedom (and possibly professional freedom) was outside income
• Dana Gioia, featured heavily in the post, wrote for 90 minutes a day—I could probably have sandwiched this in there somewhere

Tightening this piece was tough, and these were some of the leftovers. I’m sure I can make something interesting out of them. Maybe you can, too.

One question that emerged from this process is, what’s the future of day jobs? Composer Philip Glass—who worked many day jobs!—compares jobs from the past with today’s jobs:

In those days you could work three days a week, maybe four sometimes, and you could live on that. It was the quickest and easiest way to make an honest living. I thought it was a pretty good deal. I didn’t have to teach any classes anywhere. I just drove the car and I got paid. I liked that. I had my independence, which was very important to me. But also, it didn’t take much time.

But, look, the thing to remember is that life was financially much easier. Actually, for the young people trying to make a living today, part-time, it’s almost impossible.

People work six days a week. No one can work three days a week. It’s just gotten to be more expensive, the rents are higher, there are more people around trying to do exactly what you’re trying to do. When people ask me how I did it, I say to the young people, “Look, I have to tell you. It was much easier when I did it.” I said, “It’s hard right now.” But people are still coming to the city, to the big cities where you have concert halls and museums and galleries. There’s a lot of part-time work. There are all kinds of things that you can do.

Some questions: what do day jobs that offer artistic independence actually look like? In an age of unstable employment, is self employment a more feasible option? Authors Soman Chainani, who helped students with SAT tutoring, and Susan Cain, who taught students negotiation skills, come to mind.

If you find this topic interesting, you’ll probably like these blog posts:

• On quitting, failing, and, “I find a lot of people who should quit don’t” (and ensuing discussion at Hacker News)
• How to Make Art Without Worrying About Money
• What a Multi-Hyphenate Career Actually Looks Like
• You can’t judge creative work by Sales
• “Quarter million a year, and that don’t bounce”
• Creativity, for fun and profit
• Seizing your right to make art
• The 90% tax on your creative work

Read more about artists and their day jobs at 3 Quarks Daily.