UNCLE! Time to talk about the downside of this business

I created this blog to try and give help and support to the beginning mural artist, and it just wouldn't be fair to not talk about the downside of this business, and believe me I speak from experience. I've attempted to do this before, but ended up deleting the post, mostly because friends have suggested that potential clients should see me as strong, with a thriving business. I've never been good at putting on fronts, and frankly, if there are any potential clients who come across this post, I'd rather they see and know that I do wonderful work, just not enough of it, and to please contact me! I'm not embarrassed to have people know I need work.
So here is how life has been for me since moving to Philadelphia one year ago. And please...this is NOT to whine...its to educate. This is to encourage you to prepare yourself before going into this business, especially if you are on your own (like I am), with no financial backup support. First, see this book? Go buy it!
To begin, I was very fortunate to have a friend to stay with for the first couple of months after moving to Philly, so I didn't have to worry about expenses right away. A good thing because my truck broke down during the move and left me with little money by the time I arrived.
I spent those first couple of months creating brochures and posters to send to potential clients along with my business card. I emailed contractors and designers with letters of introduction and a link to my website. I posted fliers and left business cards in area businesses, and became a regular on craigslist and other free listing sites, posting as often as allowed. I did get a couple of small jobs from those efforts, but the only offers of substantial work I received were from old contacts in Florida, so I actually made two trips back there to do work....ironic.
When I returned from the second trip I was starting to feel a little nervous....had I made the right decision to move here, was the denser, less transient population of Philadelphia going to provide more clients as I'd hoped.
I had left Florida because work had become so scarce (for me) that I was falling seriously behind in bills and rent while trying to hold onto my business. Summers there were always (and predictably) slow because of the snowbird migration every spring, but that last year was slower than ever. After 12 yrs of supporting myself as a mural artist, suddenly I could not. Its one reason a lot of mural artist also school themselves in the art of faux finishing (highly advised!).....I however, had not.
I filed for bankruptcy.
Soon after, I decide to register with an online directory of mural artists. That very afternoon I was contacted by The Hospital at The University of Pennsylvania, they saw the listing. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. My first job there took about 4-5 weeks to do.
I was able to afford to move into an apartment. I really felt like this was finally the big break I needed. The people there were/are wonderful, I couldn't have been happier. Dozens and dozens of people asked for my business card, my head was swelled by compliments, and I was so looking forward to the future.

Months go by. If I could put a sound effect in here right now, it would be the sound of crickets chirping. All those cards given out by request, and not one call.
So now I'm borrowing money to pay rent and bills, and of course having that now to pay back when a mural job does come to fruition.
I revert back to the marketing methods mentioned above, and get a couple of small jobs.
Then another contact from the hospital with interest in doing another big project. I did have to wait through a few of our meetings being postponed because of scheduling conflicts with all who wanted to attend, but finally four months later work begins.
During those four months though I did do three waiting rooms for them, so at this point I'm still getting by albeit barely.
So the big project finally starts and I'm once again filled with hope and anticipation. I'm once again handing out business cards left and right, and had even received full payment for the job (a real treat!), even before I have finished it (still more to do). At this point I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel. I can catch up on my bills, have rent in the bank, even begin to pay off some older debts that I had that bankruptcy doesn't cover......the main one being some back taxes I still owed. I was anxious to set up a payment plan and finally have a clear conscience and be basically debt free.
Can you guess what happens next? Yep, thats right.......the same time I was thinking of the IRS, they were thinking of me :-)
They however were a little more anxious to settle things than I was......they took the money from my bank account, no payment plan......all of it, rent money, everything. Talk about timing.
Still I'm not whining, it was my fault for not staying in touch with them. And......there is a bright side...I may be on the verge of being homeless, but I no longer owe any taxes for 06 :-) Anyone else ready for a change ;-)
So here I am......back at square one......no rent money...still have a couple of weeks of work left on my current job at the hospital but with no more pay. Have I mentioned how important it is to be able to balance depression with a sense of humor?

I did meet with someone last week about yet another project at the hospital that I had given a quote on, but left the meeting with half of the proposed work being put on hold, a reduced quote obviously, no start date for the rest of it, and most importantly no deposit check that I was counting on to save me this month.
This morning I woke up to find a pending payment listed in my checking account to a company I had paid a month ago. An honest mistake on their part I'm certain, but this froze what little money I had in there until its straightened out. This has left me unable to begin a volunteer mural project for a school that was scheduled to begin on Monday.......no available funds to purchase the materials I need for the project.

I have gotten a couple of outside contacts this time from giving out my card, no real commitments yet, but have met with one family, so I'm still hopeful.
I've given private mural lessons to a couple of very promising new muralists.
And before leaving Florida (and continuing when I arrived here) I started creating instructional dvds to sell via my website
....all to try and fill in the gaps between jobs, it still hasn't been enough.
Most people have tried to encourage me to take a part time job and continue to do artwork, but if I had, I would not have been able to do all the work at the hospital, and its an opportunity I am so proud to have gotten.
Obviously I have some decisions to make. The thought of moving again and continuing to live with the stress of a sporadic income is just not on.....I'm totally worn out. But..... can I really give this up for the promise of a steady paycheck? Not sure yet.......I really love what I do (when I get to do it :-).