I have heard many artists say to not take on a full time job in order to pursue art post graduate school. Call me old fashioned, but I firmly believe that artists need to find a way to financially support their practice (we can't rely on government funding alone), and a full time job is a good option for some. There is no magic trust fund or sugar daddy in my life, as I'm sure there isn't in yours, and if you want to make it in New York City, well, then it better be "by any means necessary" to support this endeavor. It should be that important, and artists shouldn't be above any methods of supporting themselves (within reason).
I personally feel that a full time job gives me security, and allows me to afford a studio space. Now, the great balance will be in finding the time to physically make the work, and to maintain a healthy level of networking within the arts community. And for some artists, this can be done! For myself, art is not separate from life, and whatever situation I am in work-wise or in life, I believe that art has a place within it. Isn't this the great challenge of the artist, to be a part of the world and also ask questions of it, and create from their own experiences? It is the ability to traverse between both the physical world and the metaphysical which makes us visual philosophers.
Here is a link to the MADE HERE Project featuring a video of artists discussing their day jobs, and what it takes to make their practice a reality. I find myself eye rolling at the last guy in the piece, because if it were just that simple, everyone would be an artist.
