LOS ANGELES, CA – February 27, 2003 – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that competition is expected to be "keen" for salaried jobs and freelance work, because the visual arts attract many talented people. But there are jobs for artists, and this occupational category is expected to grow "as fast as the average for all occupations" through 2010.

Should competition scare would­be artists away from pursuing a creative career? Jill Sanborne, creator of MYCOOLCAREER.com, an interactive website for teens and 20's says, "No. There is competition in all interesting and exciting careers, and who wants a boring one? In interviews with successful artists, the common advice offered to future artists is to get business skills early." Art and business skills? Sanborne says, "The thought of business skills probably doesn't excite many creative folks, but it sounds increasingly thrilling when you realize that this knowledge can make possible doing what you love for a living."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of all artists are self­employed, which is seven times that of other professional fields, and self­employment requires a turbo understanding of business savvy.

Dia Dibble is a sought­after professional make­up artist in the film, television, print and news industries. Her story is the same as the other freelance artists that Sanborne interviewed: Dibble gets serious and she shares the wisdom that only comes from having seen the dark side, and says, "Learn about marketing yourself and bookkeeping, or you'll never make it." On March 5th, Dibble talks about her career as a freelance make­up artist and her personal path to it on the MYCOOLCAREER.com weekly webcast at 5:00 p.m. PST.

There are other stories from now­business savvy freelance artists. David Hayter, X­Men screenwriter, says being disciplined and putting in the hours to your craft are essential. Cynthia French, owner of Sager­French for Hair in Beverly Hills says it's marketing, being a good manager of people and learning bookkeeping. Bart Bartholomew, Pulitzer­nominated photojournalist says networking and marketing yourself is key, and that you must keep accurate books to figure out if you're making a profit.

According to popular career guru, Barbara Sher, the truth is that not all dreams can become careers. Some art forms just don't make business sense, but we all must follow our dreams so that we can lead meaningful lives. Poets and playwrites probably concur.

MYCOOLCAREER.com, popular career exploration website for teens and 20's, features fun and info­packed 30­minute weekly career interviews. MYCOOLCAREER is recommended by CareerProNews.com, endorsed by popular career guru, Barbara Sher and the Los Angeles Unified School District Counseling Services K­12. Jill Sanborne hosts the website and show, speaks to parent audiences about how to help their teens prepare for an awesome future. She studies young adults and provides solutions to the challenges they face in planning for rewarding careers.