No matter what your specialty is, you can use it to get by.

(an etude,paper clay scale 1/12)
Japanese proverb say"If you have a skill,It will help your livelihood"
Commonly, It is used for recommending someone to acquire a skill.
BUT REAL MEANING is different a little.
He has the misfortune to use his own specialty.（芸が身を助ける程の不幸せ）
Some sort of person use own arts in the corner or dead end.
This proverb source is "senryu　川柳 "a humorous poem in Edo era.（precisely,it was a solo reciting poem"dokugin 独吟 Kinka ou ryushi 錦花翁隆志")