I quit | Quitting my corporate job to be a full-time artist 

I was told I could never make it as an artist. I went into an interior design studio and showed them a few things that I had designed. I was hired on the spot. not because I was some great artist. every time I was asked "we need this, can you do it?" I always said yes I'm sure I can figure it out. (before the internet) I started doing murals, trompe-l oeil, and faux finishes. I went out on my own. made a great living. never had to advertise. day started when I dropped my kids off at school and ended when I picked them up. did this for 15 yr.s It was a Blessing from God! congrats! good luck!

Congrats, I'm in the same boat and one day transition to a full-time writer. I'm reminded of a Joseph Campbell quote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”

I can relate to this story so much. I was just finishing my THIRD college degree when the pandemic hit. I had been doing art whenever I could during college, but since I couldn’t find a job during the pandemic and I had lots of time I started painting even more. I started getting more followers, opened an Etsy shop, sold some paintings and prints, moved to New York City, kept growing, has a couple of art shows and some more painting sales, and then it became too hard, couldn’t keep living in such a hard city with so many roommates to keep the dream alive, moved to Florida, made some sales but not enough, did all kinds of odd/ stressful jobs that would allow me time to paint. Now I’m in North Carolina, still painting, making money with my own tattoo business, applying to shows, really wanting to make it as a painter.

Congrats! Pursuing your dream is a scary, and courageous thing. I stayed at a good paying factory job for 35 years then retired, and one of my biggest regrets is not trying to pursue my dreams. Your story is inspiring, I wish RU-vid was around in the early 90s

I haven’t found a “journey to full time artist” story as similar to my own until I watched this vid . I work at my local health dept. it’s an extremely stable job, but my dream is to be an artist. Someday I will make the transition. I appreciate your in-depth explanation about the incremental increase of your time in the studio throughout the week. It really is a battle earning your time back. glad you won that battle :).

Good luck with your career. March 2002 I left my job to become a full time artist. Best thing I ever did. After years of hard work I'm now earning over a 6 figure yearly income from my paintings. Consistency, effort and a belief that it'll always work out kept me going.

I can’t absolutely wait to be in this position full time because I also have a lot of ideas as well. I have a 9 to 5 job that I can’t leave yet. Someday I can

Congratulations on the move. The video should be an inspiration to everyone trying to go full time with their art.

Wishing you the best! Pursuing dreams is (in part) what life is all about! Going for your dream is the right thing to do when your job is all consuming. Even if the art does not bring you full time economic sustainability, I believe that it will lead you on a path where you will connect with the income you need while making the art that you enjoy. I remember having a crappy job with crappy pay... I left it and freelanced... loved the work but the pay was still crap because there was not enough of it. But I was introduced to new skills that led me to work that paid decent and allowed me to have day job stability while pursuing my creativity. Having the doable day job allow me to do the creative work that I loved. I always had livable money coming in monthly not to mention good benefits. I hope that you have wonderful financial success with your art, but if not I hope that you can supplement your income with work that will allow you to live well and be creative.

So inspiring Christina - celebrating your success!! I am an Oakland based artist currently in the situation you were in, with a full time job, knowing that I want to transition to being a full time artist, and gradually building/making the shift. It's definitely building my patience and every day I'm holding gratitude for the journey and where am I at this very moment, even if it's not quite where I want to be. Thank you for sharing your story. Looking forward to seeing your work in person!

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I relate a lot to your wanting to make art full time and understand that “longing.” I’m in a day job that is not terrible by any means, but I’d rather be creating. Hoping to be in a financial position when I can someday make art my career.

Congrats Christina! So excited to hear that you’re pursuing art full-time! 🎉🎉 Thanks for sharing your journey and your thought processes; it’s so insightful to hear other people’s experiences

👋🏻 fellow corporate life quitter on the path of full time art here in the Bay Area with you! excited to see you grow!

I am so happpy I came across this video. It is just perfect you found a way to articulate something a lot of people can resonate with.

I can totally relate to this video. I was also super into art as a kid and even went to animation school when I finished highschool. Then with the very high barrier to entry for jobs in that field, I decided I was being "silly" and having dreams was for kids. It was time to be an adult - and so I went into computer science and became a developer. Last summer, I got laid off from my fancy government job (which I hated, anyway) and tried for months to find a new position, but sadly, the tech market was, and still is, soo bad. Every minute I spent studying and practicing building things, brushing up on new coding languages, practicing interview questions, just felt like a waste of time, and was killing my spirit. My heart wasn't in it. Although I enjoy the challenge and problem-solving of development, and watching ideas be built into real products, I realized that I didn't have the passion for this particular type of creation that I used to, and that it might actually be a blessing in disguise. Since I was in an .. okay.. place financially (I had enough savings to support myself for about a year) I decided to give opening my own small art business a go. To document my progress and help motivate myself, and hopefully others in the same position (there seem to be a lot of us these days) I decided to start on youtube as well. As I'm sure you know, since you've been doing it much longer than I have, it's a ton of work! But doesn't it feel SOO much more satisfying? It's amazing to be building something for myself now, instead of for someone else, and for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful. Did you get that rush of excitement and satisfaction as well?🌷Anyway, great video, I'll definitely subscribe and follow your journey! Good luck on your path - it seems like you're doing something right! :)

Congrats, I am in the same journey and did the same. It’s challenging as you are your own boss…but you have this freedom to do what you like when you decide to do it…In fact when you are an artist you have a lot of possibilities to make money but people don’t know. The fact you were in the corporate world helps you a lot too. I learn quickly how to sell and value my craft…former account manager here! 😊 I wish you the best.

Christina, I’m thanking whatever twists and turns in the RU-vid algorithm brought me to your channel! Our stories are SO similar. My background is in ecology/environmental science. I thought about pursuing a PhD for a long time, but ended up getting a masters degree. I’ve always been creative, but when I was in school I never took my art seriously or really gave it a chance. As soon as I graduated and didn’t have the confines of academia around me, I found that I couldn’t stop painting. I had three months of down time before my full time job started (also in consulting!), and those months were so instrumental in kickstarting this creative dream of mine. Right now, I’m still working full time in environmental consulting, but I’m looking ahead at following a similar path as you did (I.e., slowly going down to 80%, 50%, etc.). It’s so inspiring to hear your story, and I can’t wait to follow along on your journey 🙌🏼

She is beautiful and living her dream! I wish I could be an artist!

good on you Christina, go for it! Such a good video right from the heart, you can use all that analytical knowledge right into your painting career, it helps you choose colours and forms and work ethic, all the behind the scenes. It also helps you translate all the emotions and convey them. Artists are the best developers right at the forefront of new ideas, they combine many unrelated aspects and join them (on one canvas),they convey new ideas, ones being only slightly sensed by the scientific world, they put form on the future possibilities, having an analitical background is good navigation material, thanks for the video.

Hi Christina, just passing by to leave a cute hug. I admire you girl. 😊

I think it is amazing how you were brave to craft your own life and take your craft your own journey. And I think you are only going to do more amazing things now that this IS your job 100 percent now. On the way to being a future artist in a museum. I need to take inspiration from this to fight my being tired and procrastination to create.

Wow 🎉 this has been so encouraging. I’m a full time lawyer (and have been for over a decade now) and this has been the first time I’ve watched someone explain how to make that shift to art become a reality (in a pragmatic and detailed way). Thank you!

Yay!! Oh my goodness following your journey is so inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing it all here ❤️

Congratulations! So exciting and inspiring!

Best of luck! I enjoy your art and your videos!

Been watching your videos for a while, congrats! Im a couple years behind of you, and this is encouraging

Love hearing these stories !!! ❤️❤️

So inspiring - I’m very excited for you!

As an aspiring artist I want to hear two things: 1) Where is the money coming from? No really, where is the rent, food, gas, bills money coming from? The Bay Area ain't cheep. 2) health insurance. As a self employed artist, where is your health insurance coming from? Again, it ain't cheep. So how are you managing this expense? We're all motivated to pursue our dream, we just don't have the cash, so we stay in our day job.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's inspiring!

Congratulations Christina!! I am so excited for you! I’ve been following you for a while now and I always find your story interesting. I think it’s because I believe in you. I like your artwork but I also think you are an intelligent and motivated person. I know you will do well!! I’m an architect/artist in my mid 50’s and I have realized that I want to paint full time but have just never made the full jump. I’m very excited to watch your career take off even further than it has!! 🎨🖌️🌎✌️

Good on you. You are wise beyond your years. Lovely to watch it all unfold for you 👊🏻

This is an interesting video since I'm an economist pursuing a study of Russian academic drawing. I'm pursuing this more as a retirement goal, but still fun to hear of your experiences.

that's amazing and so inspiring! :) good luck to you!

Congratulations! Your story is inspiring. ☀

Thank you for sharing your journey

Love your story!! I found encouragement

Congrats, Christina! 🎉 This is also my dream to become a full time artist. Hopefully, I will be able to follow your path in a few years! Thank you for this very inspiring video 🫶

congrats dude, happy for you! good luck

I really needed to see this video,thank U🤍

Congratulations and best of luck!

Congratulations! I can relate to this so much, I also went from science (also PhD) to art! Your steps were very well thought through and clever. I did not have this much patience to build up my art career before the big leap... It is very inspiring to see how many different paths exist in the creative field. 😊

Useful and inspiring. Thank you

So interesting! Subscribed !

Firstly, I wish you all the best. I had my own business years ago for about 4 years, totally unrelated to art, but I did well until my health meant I had to stop. People would say it was brave, etc, but I thought nothing of it. If it didn't work, I'd just go back to working for people. All the things like keeping jobs coming in, advertising, taxes etc was scary at first for sure. But if you dont do it, you'll never know if it could work for you, and that would be harder to take. You've shown you can do it, and long may it continue. Having a little money to fall back on is a major help in any ups and downs that any type of business may have, no matter how well it's run / done. I look forward to seeing your journey unfold, and I have no doubt you have what it takes to make it work. You have clearly thought it all through very well.

Congratulations🎉

Thanks a lot for sharing. :0) (You´ve got yourself a new subs.)

Good luck to you

I can relate so much with this. I started painting two years ago, then I got an evening drawing class. I would often come from that class and start painting, also every evening doing a new painting usually after 10PM. Made 200 painting... If I could spent more time in the studio, I would. I have no plan to sell my works but it's really nice to follow your journey from the other side of the world.

Loved this video! So much of it resonated with me. What/who are some of the podcasts and artists that you follow?

Thank you for sharing. I'm so glad you followed your heart. So often cultural expectations stifle the inner artist in us all. :) But for real thanks again. I picked up the book as soon as you suggested it. How has going full time effected the joy for making art for you. Has it turned into a "job" or is it still a passion. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep the artistic passion alive while also turning it into a job? I started creating art consecutively a year ago and I am trying my best to cultivate and care for that daily habit and I think a part of me is scared to turn it into a "job" or make money with it because it might effect my current output. Anyways. I hope that makes sense. Keep up the good work. And for real....wonderful art and videos!

Hi Christina, nice to see that you are doing what you love. You are in San Francisco and I am in Boston. I am in the same decision point you were in. I became an engineer because of the staving artist story you heard when you were young. Similarly, I dream about being a full time artist like you. But I have many worries that prevent me from doing what you did. For example, what am I going to do with health care coverage? I am not as good as you at business. I don’t have any connection with studio and collectors. I did recently put myself on the waitlist for a studio. But I plan to just set it up for painting, not so much for selling. I am also still working my day job. One day I want to quit my job and do art full time. But right now I can only fantasize.

Thanks!

gracias por los consejos c:

I paused my job in a company to relax and slow down, but mainly to try to be a full time artist. I have a plan that will take about a year so I'm thinking whether to go back to work or not

HI! I'm a new subscriber! This was a very helpful and inspirational video! YOHOOO! congrats on pursuing your dream on being a full time artist! It is also my dream and hopefully soon I can do the same. So happy for you!

Dang, that’s awesome. Nice move.

Wish I could....I have to have clientele to do that.....If I could find my clientele I would be straight.

i wish you nothing but the best, I understand exactly why corporate world is soulless. I am honestly on the opposite journey you a taking. I am trying to get into the corporate job as a opposed to being an artist.

You've totally got the talent and skill!! I know you'll be very successful. Just curious if you have an economist hero (e.g. Friedman, Keynes, etc..)

Best of luck! Thanks for sharing your story and experience with burnout. I finished my econ phd, then joined the government (leaving my economics background behind) working on international development, and am now turning to an art career. It sounds like you’re so reflective and intentional about your path… we know you’ll succeed!

"Economics policy consultant". The name itself sounds so boring. Reminds me when I found a friend from high school at the bus station. He asked me what I was doing in life and I told him about my job as a "sign language interpreter" and he was like "What the hell? I always thought you were going to work with drawings" And then I heard the same thing from a different friend (also from high school) as we met in a bus. My ability/passion for art was so in the nose, yet my family kept pressuring me into getting a "normal career" and I bought into their narrative.

i don't like my job...but can't quit because i need to pay the bills....I would starve lol if i would relay on selling my art. You are lucky that you can do that. Hope it will be a very creative and succesfull path . Good luck

11:52 Hello, when you were started, did you do paid ads or boost posts as well? Thank you

How do you connect with people online where the byproduct of connections is sales, either from that person or from them spreading the message of the art ? :) The only thing I’m able to do for hours and which gives me energy and doesn’t make me stressed and sick is painting and running a business. Sold some in person but it’s been over a year since the last sale :)

You seem very healthy and normal to me. That's foreign to me. Anyway, you seem like a nice person. Get to the art though. That's the good stuff. Show me that abstraction.

I’m reading this book called The Art Instinct by Dennis Dutton rn and thought of you. It’s an evolutionary psychology book on aesthetics and the first chapter is about how landscapes are the most universal form of visual art. Peep it if you shall!

Hey Christina, I just watched your video and I must say that it was really informative and well-made. I was wondering if I could help you edit your highly engaging videos and thumbnails which will help your video to reach to a wider audience and increase your subscribers and viewers.

Love this video - well done! I also wanted to add a link to the TED talk version of "Designing Your Life". I have not read the book, but this talk was very helpful to me when I found it a couple of years ago. Happy painting! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SemHh0n19LA.htmlsi=C3Pvher4LVR44l2O