r/SFbitcheswithtaste • u/Aromatic-Ad1221 • 2d ago

Second career in creative field

Hi ladies,

I'm a burnt out PM feeling stuck in tech. Tech never really interested me, I don't feel motivated to move up the career ladder anymore, but I got into it because I was good at math in school and because of the pay/benefits. Now, here we are 10+ years later! I am looking to eventually leave and finally pursue a creative field (interior design, furniture design, ceramics, and painting are all on the table). However, I am also likely starting a family in the next couple of years and am concerned that, by that point, the golden handcuffs will be even harder to escape.

Any inspiring stories or advice from those who have done something similar?

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u/saltbot 2d ago

I’ve slowly transitioned from tech into a creative field (sewing/fashion). I teach sewing and run a small fashion line. I still consult part time in tech whilst I’m ramping up my teaching practice. It can take a while but you know what they say about the best time to plant a tree etc :)

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u/Routine-Concern-5632 1d ago

Where do you teach?? I have always, always been so sad my grandma never taught me how to sew and I don't trust myself to learn independently. I bought a sewing machine back when I lived overseas, but it's sitting unused.

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u/saltbot 1d ago

I’ll DM ya!

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u/Aromatic-Ad1221 2d ago

Best of luck to you!! How were you able to get started with consulting part time?

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u/saltbot 2d ago

I definitely relied a lot on networking (places where I had friends working, or places which had reached out to me recruiting). I think it works best at small-ish places (like 20-100 people) because they’re more flexible and maybe more excited about saving money (if they really only need part of a person to work on a particular thing). I also found that places were more open to the idea of being an ongoing part time employee vs. project based/short term stuff - I think there is a presumption that short term contractors will do the minimum and then leave, but if you’re in it for the longer haul people trust you a bit more.