I’ve been seeing more people posting honestly about this kind of thing, so:
Since the game I was working on got canceled in October, the gigs I’ve had would not be enough to sustain myself if I weren’t married to someone with a stable job. I’d need to take on a random part-time job if not for him.
I’m incredibly privileged to be in this position, but! It still feels like a step backwards, because last year I was making enough (as a full-time freelance composer) that I would have been fine on my own. Not great, but fine.
If you’re struggling financially right now, if you’re relying on partner(s) or family to survive, if you’ve had to take a random day job again after having thought you’d reached stability in your chosen field, just please know that I’m rooting for you and you’re not alone. Capitalism sucks ass, and things are especially bad right now across so many different industries.