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I usually draw really late at night/morning. So when I finish a piece, I most often just post it on DeviantArt and then go to bed. blaugh

Art is a way to satisfy aesthetic hunger. smile I like doing it because I like to see pretty things. And sometimes I want to see a very specific image that doesn't exit anywhere yet besides in my head. So I draw it to get it out on paper (or on the computer screen, actually) so that I can see it with my eyes, not just my brain. I love doing it. It makes me happy. ^_^

pach_work, thanks. I often wonder about that. I haven't had anyone ask me about any degree for any freelance jobs so far. So I know it's possible to freelance (even for large companies) without a degree. But I've never tried applying for any permanent company jobs, so I have no idea how that would work.

Eep, I would hope your degree wasn't entirely useless! D-:

Yes, it's possible to make a living as an artist. But like others have said, it's definitely not easy. And while it is a fun job, drawing for other people is never quite as fun as drawing for yourself. There's a slightly different mentality involved.

And as others have mentioned, many of the art-related jobs out there are more design-oriented than actual illustrations. Those also tend to pay better, on average.

I freelance as a web designer and a concept artist (mostly film related). All of my income comes from those two types of jobs. I manage to get steady work in both, but more so with the web design. And web design pays a hell of a lot better than my concept art or illustration work. I tend to enjoy the concept art more, though.

Oh, just to add... I don't actually have an art degree. I have degrees, but they're in different fields. I'm not sure if I'd find work more easily with a degree. I'm guessing probably, but of course, I couldn't really tell you for sure since I don't have one. I suspect it'd be a plus to have a degree if you're looking for a steady art job as opposed to freelancing.

The more unhappy I am, the more difficult it is for me to draw. I can work through it if I'm just mildly sad, but if I were truly depressed or experiencing grief, I wouldn't be able to draw at all. Even if the picture I'm drawing is a very depressing picture, I still have to be happy in order to do it.