Margaret,
I wonder if you have taken into account the costs of your drive to
Boston? What about the time component, and the costs of running your
vehicle for 4 hours to and fro?
My experience of this is that the professional fees paid for the
teaching seldom make up for the costs of travelling. I used to teach
plant medicine in the city about 1.5 hrs drive from where I live.
(Yes, I am another one of those scientists that fell through the work
market due to lack of permanent positions). At income tax time, I
realised that the fees only barely covered the expenses of
travelling, and therefore I was working for nothing! (This doesn’t
even take into account the time spent preparing for the class, or
marking etc).
I sew pullthroughs for musical intruments at home and get $1.30ea.
I can make much more per hour doing this than the teaching - no
travelling costs! I can fit it in with the rest of my daily chores
around the farm. I wouldn’t want to do it 8 hours a day, but even
the small income it creates is worthwhile having.
Now jewellery making is another issue. Another sad fact that it is
virtually impossible to make an income unless you happen to strike a
design that captures the public imagination. Now relegated to a
hobby for me, I still have a passion for it and hope to get into it
in a serious way when I leave the farm. I would love to go to some
workshops and learn some new skills - something to dream about.
Elizabeth Gordon-Mills
PO Box 32
Langhorne Creek
South Australia 5255
(08) 8535 8212
0411 189 023
@Elizabeth_Gordon-Mil