Living the Artist’s Dream

Living Life on Their Own Terms

In recent posts I’ve spoken about quitting your job and living the artist’s dream and being self-sufficient by your artwork alone. I personally know many artists, like myself, who work a job and do our art after work and on the weekends. With cost of living so high, it’s difficult to survive without the job. Two artists, Catherine King and her husband, Wayne Adams got fed up with trying to scrape by as artists. It was so tough that buying property was never an option. Instead of continuing to struggle, they decided that it was up to them to make living the artists’ dream a reality.

Catherine King and Wayne Adams

Catherine and Wayne took matters into their own hands, left city life behind, and headed for the Canadian wilderness. They settled in a spot in Clayoquot Sound off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. They are literally in the Sound, as in on a floating man-made island, which is tethered to land. They are so remote that there is no road in or out of there. It’s accessible only by water. They are completely off the grid, so no electricity, gas, or water. Wayne built the entire thing himself with a handsaw and hammer.

Freedom Cove

They named it Freedom Cove. It’s got several greenhouses, a dance floor, a mini lighthouse, art gallery, workshop, and living space. They grow or catch their food. It has everything the couple needs and nothing they don’t. They lived there for 24 years and couldn’t be happier. In those 24 years, Freedom Cove has grown and changed a lot with Catherine and Wayne’s needs.

Freedom Cove Video

What do you think? When you close your eyes and envision living the artist’s dream, is this what it looks like? I would love to be surrounded by nature like this. The absolute quiet and the blessed solitude are a dream! But as much as I’d love it, I have to admit that I don’t think I’d be able to handle being completely off the grid for very long. A girl’s gotta have her wifi, right?

Further Reading:

Should I Quit My Job

Five Tips on Quitting Your Job on Good Terms