Dear Alma, I can’t afford to play any more

From our agony aunt’s postbag:

Dear Alma,

I am in a spot of trouble, balancing my life financially at the same time as I am trying to get a better job. I graduated a couple of years ago, with no money in the bank and just an internship to pay the bills. After the internship was over, I have been working paycheck to paycheck, playing a variety of gigs and waiting tables. Now I feel stuck because I don’t have the time to practice for auditions or even enough money to take time off of work or travel to the auditions.  It feels like I can’t get out of the cycle. 

• Hamster on the Wheel

Dear Hamster,

Yes, this is a difficult place to be. Barely making a living and not able to devote the time to improve your lot. It’s easy to just give up and accept your situation, because no obvious solution is presenting itself, and you are also probably exhausted and a little down.

First, I would investigate the specific jobs that you would like to audition for, that are a realistic first step job, and don’t require too much travel. Choose several, and make the commitment to do them, putting them in your big calendar. Have a variety of options, from performance-based to administrative, to teaching. Make sure you open your mind to locations and job types that maybe aren’t your ideal final location or level, but can be a good first job. Then do the following.

Find a way to just get a sliver of breathing space, to try to start fresh?  What ways can we find to 1. make a little more money, or 2. have a little more time.

More money:

• Ask for a raise.
• Contact friends or old teachers and ask if they have any advice or have heard of any openings.
• Look for a higher paying job for waiting tables – put on your best clothes and go to the fanciest restaurants you can find (pictured).
• Lower your living cost – look at all of your bills and find ways to trim. Maybe you can stop having your daily pint, or take a roommate. Make dried beans, whole chickens, and buy a big bag of rice.

More time:

• Live with mom or dad for a couple of months so you have time to practice.
• Cut out any excess time-eaters like video games, and movies (within reason). Live like an Olympic athlete, with your eye on the big prize, using every moment towards your goal.
• Don’t underestimate how 10-15 minutes of concentrated practice time can make a big impact. You don’t need three hours in a row, like you had in school. Tuck it in wherever you can, for as long (or short) as you can manage.

The most important thing is to find a goal, and focus all of your skills to try to achieve it. Widen your career options: it’s not often that a person finds happiness in exactly the career that they were trained for. It’s surprising how satisfied you can be by just opening your eyes a little wider to the things all around you. Believe in yourself – your teachers certainly did, and all of the hard work you put in is still inside you, it just needs to find a way out.