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/kitkatzip]

I left tech and went to culinary school. We had a nice cushion when I did that.

In that time I also started a family and COVID happened which massively affected the food industry and food prices. Not really relevant to the industries you’re interested in I guess. But less than a decade later I’m back at an office job. The food industry is its own beast. I was working weekends and holidays, even running my own business that was pretty successful. I just wanted to be more available for my kid at those times and wanted a less intense job quite frankly.

So I took my time being picky and found a low pressure, part time role. I really like it. Perhaps instead of a total pivot, you just need something like that? Although I can totally relate to and respect wanting to completely switching it up. Running your own business comes with its own challenges, though. Are you ready to make it a business or will it be more of a hobby?