New job for your vintage lifestyle?

[moomin82]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has changed jobs to cater for their interest in (vintage) hair and make-up? I have been bored to death in office jobs since graduating, and I am now considering becoming a make-up artist or beauty consultant so I can be closer to my interests.

I'd be interested to hear what kinds of jobs you are into, as I am trying to change careers. I am most into film, theatre, cosmetics and holistic health.

 

[Kim_B]

I wish I had that option, but unfortunately it just isn't practical. I do photography in my spare time (ha, I have to remind myself what that is every so often) and I suppose if I (no pun intended) focused my attentions more to doing vintage portraits, which I'd love to do, but since I work a full time office job, there isn't much time on the side for learning all the lighting tricks and things...I could cater to my pension for vintage. I digress.

I'd love to have a more creative job...my office job is boring, drab, and causes me more stress than I've ever had in my life. There are days where I'd love to just throw in the towel and spend all my time doing photography, making my jewelry and greeting cards and learning all kinds of new creative outlets to make some money!

 

[moomin82]

Hi Kim,

Yeah that is the trouble with doing what you most enjoy, many people don't go for it because it seems unpractical. I have been working in very corporate jobs for a year since I graduated, but now feel I am more into health and beauty :eusa_doh:

I might have to study again as I am only qualified to do the better paid but dull office work.

 

[Paisley]

Creative Jobs can be Stressful, Too

A friend of mine (also named Kim B, coincidentally) loves making jewelry, but is giving it up as a business. Why? She was tired of filing quarterly sales tax returns, spending a lot of time setting up for shows, getting the displays ready, advertising, etc. in addition to working full time. She's just going to make jewelry for enjoyment now.

I also know some national-level swing dancers. Being a professional dancer may sound glamorous and fun, and I'm sure it is sometimes, but when you have to dance when you're mad, glad, sad, when you are injured, whether you feel like it or not, with students you may or may not enjoy, it's a Job.

I don't want to discourage anyone from changing careers if it suits them, just to recognize that unless you afford to hire an assistant, there's still a lot of shmutzy work to do.

As for me, I work in an office. I like what I do because I've learned to do my job very well, I work for a profitable, well-run company, and my superiors do not micro-manage. So it's a good position partly because of me and partly because of them. "'Tain't what you do, it's the way that you do it," goes the song. There is a lot of truth in that.

 

[Lauren]

I went to school for fashion design and after school started a business for bridal design. Let me tell you, it's not glamourous. Designing means being on your feet all day, bending over at strange angles- pants are for the most part the way to go, as far as I'm concerned. Hair can look cute, but if it's in your eyes it's counterproductive, and my hands and nails were constantly banged up from how much I used them. AND you get almost immune to pins sticking you. Then after working all day you have to put on the happy face and be nice and presentable for the client.

I also sold in an antique/gift store and at a friend's wedding floral shop- that was much more glamourous as far as buying goes. It was a lot of fun to get dressed up in stylish clothes and go on buying trips to showrooms or trade shows. The not fun part is getting the product in, labelling, carting things back and forth, cleaning up, finding merchandise was stolen, lalala...

So, there's an up and down to everything, but that's what hobbies are for! I now work for an off-road wheel manufacturer, just about as far away from vintage as you can get, but the good thing is that I don't have to file buisness taxes and I have money left over (sometimes) to do my hobbies I much prefer it to being self employed.

 

[Paisley]

But is is Profitable?

It's also a good idea to do some research on how profitable, on average, companies are that are of the type you want to run. Antique stores, in particular, are not profitable at all. A person might think, "Well, other owners of antique stores (or whatever) can afford to pay the rent and taxes and all the other expenses and still make a go of it; why can't I?" I work for a CPA firm, and I can tell you that many of those businesses are hobby businesses typically run by bored housewives and bankrolled by the husband's patent law practice or sand and gravel business or something equally mundane. Or they are run by trust fund babies.

I've known several business owners. They were all exceedingly good at their craft or profession, independent, courageous, driven, competitive, and loved to work. Being an entrepreneur isn't a 40-hour-a-week job. Now, if all of these things describe you, you should probably consider having your own business. Do lots of research. Talk to lots of entrepreneurs. Make a business plan. If not, I suggest finding a better position.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

One of my fave jobs was running an antique shop. We actually did lose our lease, no cliche, otherwise I think I'd still be there....snif....Although I like working at a library, I got to wear my cowgirl outfit there today.

 

[rubyredlocks]

Well,I've been a liscensed cosmetologist since 1990.I've specialized in cutting and styling techniques.About 10 years ago I started researching vintage hairstyles and found a new passion.I'd already been a collector of vintage fashion and was into music such as rockabilly,western swing,jump blues,r&b,doowop,and swing.
Then a few years ago I decided to start experimenting more and doing hair for photoshoots.I even got talked into modeling a few times.It's been a blast,but you can end up with 12 hour days and barely any time to eat.Plus,it's difficult to actually get paid work,though when you do it's a nice chunk of change.
I'm retiring from the photographic side of the biz to start my family,but still work in the salon.
Now,I try to focus on classic haircuts with a modern twist and when the holidays hit I'll be talking them into retro-inspired party looks.


Here's some of my work(though some of my favorite styles are not suitable for viewing on this board,because thier knickers are showing so we'll keep it tame):

and I hope this one isn't considered in poor taste,but is taken for the tongue-in-cheek humour it is meant to portray.My fave of me and the hubby having our own naughty X-mas:

 

[Kim_B]

Oh I definitely understand the part about creative jobs losing their enjoyment! For a while I was doing wedding photography. I loved spending time with the bride and groom on one of the most special days of their lives, capturing every emotion and moment as it happened. I loved watching the wedding party react to the couple's first dance, first kiss, and first meal together as a married couple. As time went on, I realized that I was getting way over my head with it - I was still working a full time office job, and doing weddings on the weekends, spending many hours during the week nights editing and designing albums. It was too much stress and I eventually took some time off from them. I didn't think it was fair to any of the couples or families I worked with if I couldn't devote all of my time to their needs. And, I wasn't in a place where I could do it as a full time business.

I still do photography on the side - mostly high school seniors and the occasional family portrait. I'd like to expand that a little bit, like I said before, maybe do some vintage-looking portraits or some such. I would love to pick up a wedding here and there, but I just don't have the time or the energy to spend on them like I'd want to.

It's hard to find a good place between working a job and doing something you love so it doesn't turn into a job. For me, the minute wedding photography felt like a job, I knew I had to quit. You never really know unless you try, though, and I'm so glad I gave it a try!

 

[pigeon toe]

I'm a photographer as well. I'm in my second year at the UCLA School of Arts. I want to do art photography though. My absolute dream would be to have a book of my work and be in a museum. We'll see how that goes!

Right now I work at one of the university's research libraries in the accounting offices, working with invoices and library billing. It's not the most thrilling job, but I'm good at it.

My dream job would be to own a vintage clothing store. I would be able to die happy if that came true! And at some point I would like to learn to do upholstery for classic cars, so if my boyfriend ever starts his own auto shop, that wouldn't be a shabby job either.

 

[Naama]

I'm a photographer as well. I'm in my second year at the UCLA School of Arts. I want to do art photography though. My absolute dream would be to have a book of my work and be in a museum. We'll see how that goes!

That's so cool! I'm a photographer as well! But I just started, I'm in the first year, just started one month ago at the university for applied arts of vienna! I would love to see some of your pictures pigeon toe!

Yeah, I only photograph myself, so it's big fun, I try a lot of different hair styles and make up. But my pictures will most often end in a big mess, I almost ruined a blouse for one of it But I managed to wash the stains out!

So, If I could do this for a living, I would be the happiest girl in the world! So far, I only worked once in my life and that only for 3 weeks for a food photographer.........
I know, I'm a spoiled brat.....


Naama

 

[Nashoba]

I work for myself. I have the oh so thriling job of making unit flags for the Marine Corps (Guidons). I aslo quilt, do beadwork, porqupine quillwork, sew, do basketry and a bunch of other random things. But I make my money on the Guidons. It isn't a huge amount but it pays for itself. I'm lucky to have a wonderful husband who makes a good living and encourages and supports me in what I do. It is hard work though. especially the record keeping and tax paying end of it.

 

[Rosie]

I'm a graphic designer by training, artsy by nature. I ran my own business for a bit, a companion animal company. I sold coats, sweaters, beds, jewelry, etc. for companion animals. I also did some party planning, birthday parties, weddings and even a bar mitzvah all for dogs. I was pretty successful for a while, some of my products were on Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm but after a while, things got REALLLLLLY slow and I had to go back to teaching. I am SERIOUSLY thinking of starting a bakery or small catering company which is sort of creative. I'm trying to "perfect" some of my recipes to take around to restaurants and hopefully that will be the start of soemthing bigger.

 

[Elaina]

I'm on a break from college to finish up my fashion design degree. I sew goth/club gear part time to pay for my hobby, and I'm about to get a weekend waitressing job (because I'm a workaholic and I don't know what to do with myself at home full time, and sewing doesn't really pay all that well).

I plan on being a self-employed designer for plus sized clothing with a slant toward cross dressers, without it being the main focus. I also plan on getting a master's in Business so I can teach design at college/High school level.

The thing with it here between me and my husband, was it was fine if I wanted a design degree, but I had to think about it too and find something else I could fall back on. So business it is. (I also like business, but I'm not sure I want to design full time.)


It's like anything else creative: it's always a good idea to have something to fall back on.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I got out of the corporate/office environment when I left radio nine years ago, and have worked primarily as an independent contractor ever since -- writing for a company that does outsourced web content for big corporations and the like. I do appreciate the freedom this arrangement gives me -- I can set my own hours pretty much, I can dress as I like, I can keep my office how it suits me, and all that.

But on the other hand, I don't make enough money to afford any kind of health insurance, and I hate quarterly taxes -- and I have to work a second job at the movie theatre just to be able to afford to pay my bills each month. But happily, the theatre job is just tailor-made for a vintage gal such as myself -- I fit right in with the decor!

 

[Sweet Leilani]

I'm a museum curator. I actually do get to "play" with all sorts of vintage (20th Century) stuff on a daily basis, especially since I run an aviation museum. But for the most part, it's paperwork and research- cataloguing, writing exhibit text, etc. The exhibits are probably the most fun part- putting objects into their context to show people how life was like. Right now, I'm working on a couple things- a small WWII exhibit on the China/Burma/India Theatre (Flying the "Hump"), a larger exhibit on the autogiro (1920's-30's), and a stand-alone case on Women in Aviation (primarily 1900-1960). So yes, I do indulge my obsession for the past in my career all the time. However, the pay isn't great and it does require a graduate degree (=student loan debt).

 

[katiemakeup]

Like RubyRedLocks, I too am in the beauty biz and although I do a lot of high end editorial looks, I do try to do as much retro & vinatge inspired looks as I can. I guess it's great to have both worlds at your disposal!

 

[BettyValentine]

I interned at some fashion design houses in college, and when I graduated I went into costume design. I liked my job reasonably well, but I left the field because I realized that I didn't like it enough to justify the terrible pay and hours I'd have to deal with for the rest of my life. (The kicker was when my boss, a pretty famous Tony-winning designer for Broadway and occasional TV and movies, couldn't figure out her online banking, so she had me do it for her and I saw that she had only $400 in her savings account. The shop manager, who had been managing a famous, award-winning shop for 15 years, had to move because her landlord was raising her rent and she couldn't afford the $600/month.)

Also the grass-is-greener syndrome kicked in pretty hard. When I was in theater all I wanted to be doing was reading and writing. So I left for grad school (Japanese history) where I spent all my spare time sewing. Now I'm a journalist. I don't really make any money doing this either, but I hope to sell a few books and supplement my income that way.

BV - unfortunately the journalism job has caused some serious secretary spread. I've put 8lbs and 3" on my hips since starting here.

 

[crystalface]

I am an assistant manager at Origins and although I have to stick to an all-black dresscode, I can do my hair and make up vintage style.
I enjoy my job currently, but I don't plan on working in retail forever because I am a filmmaker at heart, so I'm looking to get in the business. I would like to be an editor, and since I'd be infront of a computer, in an edit bay all day long, I would be able to dress vintage.

 

[moomin82]

hi

Hey guys, really interested to see that some of you are using this interest as part of your job.

Leilani, the museum work sounds interesting. I like to look at old things, they have a mystery about them. It makes you wonder what life they had..!

Rubyredlocks, those vintage style portraits are very cool.. It must be hard to create the right lighting, mood etc, costume etc.. I am also a trained graphic designer but didn't really enjoy doing it as my full-time job. When you are at the mercy of what your clients want and not creating what you like, it sort of took the fun out of it for me.

I still have some ideas of using my creativity for vintage-style design or merchandise. Think of the creators of Besame and Benefit cosmetics. I think it is very cool that they've revived this kind of glamour.

For now I am doing a steady admin job within a recruitment agency, it doesn't really use my personal interests but it is ok in the meantime, I just use a lot of my spare time to learn vintage hair & beauty. I hope one day to turn my hobby into a career somehow!