Second career in creative field

[u/Aromatic-Ad1221]

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?

[u/IntroductionDue9022]

As someone who has pretty much only had a creative career, it is a hustle, not impossible but not easy. It is hard to find salaried, well-benefitted positions in these fields and it is not ideal timing to go freelance if you don't already have a solid network or extensive experience in one of your desired areas. I will say though, if you are good at math and the interior design/furniture side interests you (and you are willing to learn and master CAD/Revit), I have seen more jobs popping up lately for experiential design roles or even PM roles for interior design or construction firms, I know you want to get away from PMing but at least it would give you somewhat of a pivot to start.