Why I Won't Make Money

Suffice it to say, Why Artists Don't Make Money freaked me out. Like, 'Holy crap, why did I do this to myself? Why did I pick art, of all things, to attempt to make a career out of? I mean, I knew all of this going in! Is love for something a good reason?' This caps a whole Summer of thoughts about my future in art as I've decided to pursue this degree and been faced with the prospect of graduating. 
In Valencia (s/o to my great abroad experience this past Summer), I was able to see the Pixar: 25 Years of Animation show at the Museu de les Ciènces Príncipe Felipe and, compared to everyone in my program, I spent forever there. Now, this one contrasted with the one that has just opened at the Museum of Science, Boston (that I also had a chance to see), in that it focussed on the art behind Pixar, from initial designs to finished product. I was especially intrigued by the colorscripts, which is basically a storyboard for color! But overall, I felt so relieved walking out after seeing all of the "traditional" art that goes into a Pixar film: character designs, scenery concepts, models, storyboards, the list goes on. And the variety of media, chalk pastel, oil, acrylic, digital painting, charcoal, pencil, magazine collage, really! The initial character designs for The Incredibles were made with magazine collage! I walked out of that show realizing that this brave, new, digital world has a place for the artist I am right now.
Then, after I'd returned to the U.S., my dad practically dragged me to IYRS' Third Annual Mastering The Craft Roundtable in Newport (the music in this short video clip makes it seem more energetic than it was). Right at the beginning of the roundtable (not in the clip), Chip Benson, former Dean of The School of Art at Yale, made a comment about how, if you try to be a jack of all trades, you literally don't end up being good at anything. 'Yoohoo, me over here! That's me! I love music! I love theatre! I'm trying to get at least some basic comp sci down, too!' Basically, I feel like I have lots of skills, but none that I have mastered.
And there's where I see my biggest problem, I have all these skills and too many options with what I could do with them after I graduate. And I think that's what this year will have to come down to, finally making some of those choices that I've been avoiding for my whole life (Hellooo, I came to UR for a reason) and deciding where I went to hedge my bets.
-David