It’s been 6 months since I quit my corporate job. It’s really hard to believe that much time has passed. My brain hasn’t fully broken down the wires and muscle memory of working full time for someone else. I catch myself multiple times per week with this huge sense of relief that I don’t work full time for someone else. It’s as if my mind has not fully gotten used to this freedom and new schedule of mine.
This post was written in January 2024
The funny thing is, I’m noticing every day how that job prepared me for what I’m doing now. For those who don’t know, I worked in tech sales for 5 years for a martech company. It didn’t teach me anything about art itself, but I sure learned a lot about selling myself, selling a product, and a pretty good crash course in marketing technology and the world-wide-web kind of things - which are all skills needed by a modern artist. I also learned a lot about rejection.
I was never someone who could fully compartmentalize the woes of sales - the rejection still hurt even after 5 years on the job. But now, I’m thankful for it. Last weekend, I found myself in a conversation with someone. They loved my art, but told me “you’ll never make money at it,” and “this isn’t a real job.” I had been warned by other artists that an interaction like this would happen eventually, but I thought it would be a bit more covert. 6 months ago, I think this would have really knocked me down. But, thankfully, I have met other female artists these past 6 months who are crushing it. I’ve heard countless stories of freedom and success in art. I also had an incredible holiday season - thanks to all of you. The mansplaining isn’t going to deter me from believing what I whole-heartedly know to be true: being an artist is the most fulfilling job I can imagine for myself, and I know I’m building something great.
So… my vibe for 2024 is believing in myself and trusting my instincts. M first six months as an artist? So far, it’s been a wildly magical 6 months.
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