Sculpture and Self Employment

In the 21st Century everyone will be an artist.

.................................or be employed like one. 

I've created all of my sculpture jobs by doing my research and tracking down prospective leads with more persistance than any bloodhound. Mannequins, film work, architectural ornament, I went to the manufacturers and showed them that I could produce good work for them.

The problem with contract art work is that as soon as I'm done with the job, I'm OUT of the job.... until the next time they need my skills. If there is a next time. 

At times, I've been wildly envious of friends with stable jobs. Non creative jobs. How do they do it?
Now Thomas L Friedman says the future of all work is sounding more like "an artist's life".

Forget the life plan career arc for ANY profession.

Thomas L Friedman's New York Times op-ed article profiles Reid Garrett Hoffman's new book, The Start-Up of You.

"The old paradigm of climb up a stable career ladder is dead and gone. No career is a sure thing anymore. The uncertain, rapidly changing conditions in which entrepreneurs start companies is what it's now like for all of us fashioning a career. Therefore you should approach career strategy the same way an entrepreneur (artist) approaches starting a business."

Is it reassuring to know as an artist, that you're not chronically unemployed,  you're an early adaptor?