[CherylNYC]

I'm a freelance sculptor/scenic artist. I make sculptural scenery for theatre, film and TV. You can often find me on a ladder or scaffolding cutting up huge chunks of styrofoam with my sawzall while dressed in clothing horribly encrusted with layers of paint and plaster. I usually work no more than a few weeks or months on a typical assignment, and I sometimes only work on a particular job for a day or two. That works out very well for someone as cantankerous as I can be because it keeps me from getting overly annoyed by irritating people. I also have the freedom to decide when and how much time to take off work, which suits me well. I get paid when I work, and I don't get paid when I go on vacation. Easy-peasy. That said, it's a feast-or-famine business, but I don't have a huge mortgage or children to support, so the dry times don't usually concern me very deeply. We often work very loooong hours. A typical day on a movie is 10 hours long before they start throwing emergency scenery at us, and the giant sculptural work in which I specialize is quite physically demanding. Younger artists are typically the most enthusiastic about those long hours, but most of them still can't keep up with me. (I just turned 50!!! YAY!)

I'm a member of a small union, (it's more like an artisan's guild than a traditional union, and our officers are scrupulously honest), so I get the best of both worlds. The union negotiates and enforces our contracts so I don't have to worry about getting stiffed by an employer. Through my union I have decent medical insurance, a 401k, and I'm accruing pension benefits, plus I'm eligible for unemployment benefits when there's no work.

Even though it's not my own art, I make a decent living as a sculptor in NYC. I'm very good at what I do, and my coworkers, (an odd cast of rotating characters, many of whom have known me and each other for decades), deeply respect me and my skills. I feel very lucky.