Erica Tighe was 26 when she made the leap: She would set out on her own to be a calligrapher. Full time. In order to pay her $800 rent and cellphone bill and $1,000 college-loan payment and also hopefully afford some food.
She had a sociology degree and lingering burnout from teaching in Brooklyn, her latest stint. She'd recently moved to Los Angeles, but after a few months of looking for a nonprofit job, she couldn't find one that would cover her rent and college debt.