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Transitioning to a Full Time Artist - My First Year After Leaving Corporate


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A person standing in front of a display at an outdoor art market. The person is smiling and wearing a floral-patterned dress with bright pink, blue, and purple colors. Behind them is a wooden sign that reads "daphne rae creative" in purple text. A framed floral painting is also displayed on the wooden board. The scene appears cheerful and inviting, with the artist proudly showcasing their work.

After spending 5 years post grad in tech sales, I decided it was time to step away. I didn't know exactly what would come next, but I hoped I'd be able to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a creative entrepreneur. With the support of those closest to me, I decided to leave the corporate world behind and dive headfirst into figuring out how to make it as an artist. Taking the leap into full-time artistry has been the most liberating decision I’ve made.


The Leap of Faith


For the prior two years before I finally quit my job, I had started to realize I didn’t want to continue in sales. I was still chasing the incremental promotions, but I knew I was on a runway that would eventually come to an end. I felt I could hustle “for now,” but found it impossible to imagine keeping up with that pace into my 30s and beyond.


What made me finally give my notice? It took my sister taking me aside and telling me it was okay to give up. No job was worth the emotional toll and stress, she said. Gradually the excitement began to build - in the few days before I got up the courage to give my notice, I could feel myself returning to happiness and joy. It was like a huge weight was lifting and I was becoming stronger by the hour. There was no turning back at that point.


The Early Days


Adjusting to My New Reality


The first few weeks were like a dream. Waking up with no agenda was mind boggling. My prior five years had been ruled by Google Calendar notifications and the electronic chimes of Zoom meetings, but now it was very quiet. Having nothing on my schedule was thrilling but also nerve-wracking. I had to be productive right? I had to figure out my next step. Those thoughts were competing with the idea of the sabbatical I had given myself - I was going to take a month to do absolutely anything I wanted, even if that meant doing nothing. Back then, a month felt like a lifetime.


Gradually, I found myself in conversations with friends and family about my choice to quit my job “without a plan.” Their words, not mine! I always found this line to be very accusatory and judgmental. Most of the people who said it didn’t actually know me well - or they weren’t aware that I had been selling art on the side for 7 years and had been a lifelong creative. Therefore, they could only assume I had quit on a whim, in an impulsive and ill-advised fashion.


In a sense, I did quit impulsively, or at least it felt like it. I never allowed myself to seriously consider making a change until it became absolutely necessary. I had convinced myself to stick it out, even if that meant working myself into the ground. So sure, my decision even caught me by surprise, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right one.


Dreams Taking Shape


While I figured out what was next for me, I found myself naturally gravitating towards my art, and dreaming about the possibility of taking it full time. I was feeling a strong aversion towards going back to any type of job that required me to exist on Zoom calls for 6+ hours per day. I also knew I didn’t want to go back to sales - while it had been lucrative and given me the means to quit my job, I knew my heart just wasn’t in it. I wasn’t going to sit in an interview and honestly tell a sales manager that I wanted to work for them, no matter how enticing the offer. It would have all been too dishonest, and gave me thoughts of dread.

So to keep busy, I turned to my art. That itch to invest fully into it began to creep up more and more each day. I caught myself saying “what if I did this? What if it actually works out?”


A close-up shot of an art desk setup near a window. The scene features a sketchbook or notebook placed on a wooden stand. The open pages show colorful flower illustrations, with some flowers fully painted and others still outlined in pencil. On the right side, there is a jar filled with pinkish water (likely used for rinsing paintbrushes) and a palette with pink paint. A desk lamp with an adjustable arm is positioned above the setup, providing light. The overall scene suggests an artist in the process of painting flowers, with tools neatly arranged around the workspace.
the first page in my gouache sketchbook


For those first few months, I found myself in a bit of a honeymoon phase. I was filled with joy at the thought of taking Daphne Rae Creative full time and the commitment was growing. I floated the idea to my partner and my family - and much to my surprise, they were all for it. I think I needed someone to tell me it was okay to dream and okay to try. They believed in me because they knew I had a talent and they knew how motivated I was. They watched me pursue entrepreneurial adventures throughout my adolescence and early adulthood. Heck, I majored in Entrepreneurship in college! It was no surprise to them that I wanted to take this step, and they were behind me one hundred percent.


Diving Head First


When reading about others who'd left stable jobs to pursue their own entrepreneurial ventures, I found that one common recommendation from many was to only leave your full time job once your side hustle was making you enough money. You needed to “establish” yourself in some way, with a proven track record of success, before diving in head first. This advice always bothered me because I felt I had no space in my life to truly pursue my art to a point that it could outperform my current income. That's because sales is a very demanding job. It’s demanding of your time and mental battery. Something I always despised about it was the feeling of never being “done” with something. You could have an amazing month, and then on the first day of the next month, you’re back at 0 and nothing you did last month matters. It’s a constant hamster wheel. Sales also, for better or for worse, encourages over-performance and you are compensated for it. So there’s always more money to be had when you hit that “accelerator level” - which means the target is constantly ahead of you. Sure there is 100% attainment, but there’s always space to do more. Don’t get me wrong, this model can be amazing and I was lucky to be at a company where this type of attainment was in fact attainable, and I owe my ability to leave this job thanks to the months where I hit these marks. I’m just saying that, mentally, the feeling of never being “finished” ate at me emotionally.


Therefore I knew I didn’t have space to truly explore my art and be a sales woman in parallel. Because there was always one more call you could make, one more email to be sent, 1 more deal that could be closed. If I wanted to pursue a creative career, I would have to dive head first. Now, I want to be clear, this was only possible due to my particular financial situation - at the time, and still to this day, I had no debt or dependents and had squirreled away a comfortable amount of savings - both of which made me feel like it wasn’t too risky of a move.


Wins and Breakthroughs


I’ll never forget the feeling I had when disassembling my work desk - unplugging the extra monitor, packing away all the tech gadgets and various bluetooth devices and cords. I would never need this setup again, I hoped. Then I made room for my paints, and began setting up my studio just how I wanted it. It was still a work in progress, but I felt like I was standing in front of a blank canvas and ready to embark on this new journey.


What Changed Things for Me


At this time, I also discovered a local artist named Paige Smith, who runs a podcast about art and entrepreneurship, namely by interviewing other artists. I binged dozens of episodes dating back multiple years and was enthralled to hear stories (mostly of women) who were doing the same thing I had dreamed to do. Many had been lifelong creatives with dreams to pursue art, but fell into a rat race similar to mine. Then later, found the courage and means to dive head first into their calling. It could not have come on my radar at a better time, and truly was instrumental in helping me build the confidence to continue on this path. Honestly, without it, I’m not sure I would have continued to pursue this new life of mine. That’s how life changing it was.


My first “big break” came about two months later, when I happened to meet another female entrepreneur who was in need of custom painting work for her brand. We hit it off and though she knew I was quite green in this space, she entrusted me to capture a couple unique designs for her holiday products. I remember showing up to our meeting feeling like I had made it - I was ready to put my business and sales skills to work, but this time selling what was most special to me - my art.


A person is holding up a colorful artwork in front of green bamboo plants. The artwork features a background of hand-painted lush green leaves and pink flowers, forming a decorative pattern. In the center is a rectangular label bordered in blue and teal, with text in the middle that reads "REALLY JUST SHAE." The background and natural setting make the vibrant colors of the painting stand out.
my first commissioned piece


Skills and Growth


It Wasn’t for Nothing


I quickly realized that my 5 years in sales was not at all a waste. Putting together invoices for commissions was a breeze because I had generated and sent thousands of quotes and invoices over my sales career. I was confident asking for a price because I knew the worst someone could say is “no,” and they probably weren’t my ideal client anyway. I was excited to track my sales and progress in Google Sheets because I had spent a ungodly amount of time in the Google Suite. When it came time to set goals, I knew it was important to set up monthly trackers and pivot if things weren’t going to plan. And after seeing what was selling well, I knew I had to paint more of that subject matter. A lot of the tasks I resented in my prior job were now fun - because I knew I had full control over the outcomes and could iterate on the fly.


Artistic Growth


As I became more committed to making this business work, I found myself much more drawn to analog art techniques. For the prior 18 months, I had gotten into digital art but slowly started to lose interest and a love for the work I did. After picking up watercolors and later gouache shortly before I quit my job, I became instantly obsessed. It had been years since I dabbled in a medium like this and I was feeling so much more connected to the work. Seeing how the paper responded to different amounts of water and pigment was fascinating, and I soon wanted nothing to do with digital drawing anymore. I also picked up colored pencils and brush pens, but gouache had my heart.


Balance: Work-Life and Mental Health


Navigating the Slow Periods


Though I had been warned about the isolation of owning a small business, I thought I’d be immune. There were definitely some dark periods this past winter that left me feeling overwhelmed. After my first holiday season as a full time artist wound down, I saw engagement and sales truly fall off a cliff. I had no events scheduled for the first 4 months of the year and only hoped that I would get accepted into summer and fall markets. I spent a lot of time doubting myself - whether this business was a smart financial decision, if I’d made a huge mistake. Heading into Winter 2025, I know what to expect. It’s going to be painfully slow, I won’t have great cash flow, and I’m probably going to spend a few weeks freaking out about that. But I now know that it would be best to spend that time doing things that I don’t have time for during the high season - like taking courses to brush up on skills or reaching out to licensing companies.


Learning to Be Patient


Over this past year, I’ve also wrestled with the idea of getting a part time job. Up until recently, I was very opposed to this, feeling like it would be a distraction. I’ve now begun to realize how my ego was playing a part in this. I felt as though I had paid my dues with minimum wage jobs as a young adult - I shouldn’t have to go back to something like that, right? But I’m now coming to terms with the fact that, yes, sometimes you do need to make sacrifices in order to pursue your dreams. This past year, I have not made huge sacrifices, and if this artist life is really what I want, I’ll have to make some changes in order to continue investing in my business.


I also recognize now that my avoidance of part time work was also a behavior in hiding my true success with this business. Yes, I have made ~600 sales as of October 2024, but it’s still not yet enough to live comfortably in a city like Boston and in a world where things have become so expensive. I have faced judgment, both externally and self-inflicted, for choosing a risky path like this, and I want to feel confident in my ability to be a full time artist. And - here’s my ego talking - I want others to see my that way too. Therefore, I’ve been resistant to getting a part time job because it means finally admitting to myself that my business is not yet fully self sustaining, even a year in. Reading back that last sentence actually makes me laugh, because how could I have even expected that? In our world of instant gratification, growing a small business is sometimes a painfully slow and patience-intensive process that I’m still adjusting to.


A photo of an outdoor vendor stall at a market. The stall is shaded by a white canopy, and a table beneath is filled with colorful artwork for sale. There are framed paintings, prints, and small baskets with greeting cards. The artworks feature nature-inspired scenes, with vibrant colors and themes like mountains and plants. The setting is outdoors in a park-like area, with greenery visible in the background.
my weekend setup during the market season


Finding a new community


Something that kept me at my old job year after year was the people. I worked with some amazing humans, many of whom I keep up with regularly today. And that’s why it was so hard for me to imagine a different path for myself. I had made these friends and relationships, and I felt if I ever left, it would be impossible to make new friends and forge new connections. But quite the opposite happened. Now that I’ve gotten into a routine of weekly art markets during the high seasons (summer and holidays), I have met so many like-minded makers and artists. It’s so much more of a welcoming community than you’d imagine. Most artists out there are looking to lift each other up - whether that’s feedback on vendors to use for raw materials, the markets that get the best foot traffic, and just general encouragement. I have really been shocked at how connected I’ve become to people that I originally met on Instagram. What I’ve learned is that there is a community out there for you - you just have to put yourself into the spaces where you have the most fun, and the rest will fall into place.


Support System


When I meet new people and introduce myself, I still find myself on shaky ground when talking about my art. Before when people asked what I did, it was easy to just say “sales.” Safe. Reliable. Now when I tell people I’m an artist, most are dumbfounded. There’s a lot of assumptions I see on their faces. There’s definitely a stigma around being a “starving artist,” and that’s the last thing I want to be seen as. I can assume most are confused and don’t know what to say - I can’t blame them. There are so many different kinds of art, and they might not have the vocabulary to feel confident inquiring on it more. So a lot of times, I’m met with raised eyebrows and words like “wow” and “cool.” And then the conversation ends. I so badly want to tell them more - how it’s the best decision I’ve ever made - how passionate I am about what I do. But it’s almost like the conversation just falls off a cliff. I need to get better at having these conversations - maybe providing more context about my materials, where I sell my work, my favorite subject matter. Give them a little more information before they look like they’ve seen a ghost. Or maybe, I just need to stop caring - like I’ve said before in this post, the people who’ve questioned my decisions on this the most are the ones that know me the least. As my sister quoted to me once, “A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinions of sheep.”


But then there are the ones that do care. Those who’s eyes light up and jaws drop. The ones with follow up questions like “what medium do you use?” or “can I follow you on social?” Those are the interactions that make all of this struggle and strife worth it. Small business growth is a slow burn and each one of these interactions is adding kindling to my fire. It’s a reminder that I am worthy of this path and I can make art that speaks to people. So thank you - to everyone that has given even one small iota about what I’ve been doing this past year, and have vocalized it. Whether it’s following me on social, commenting on a post, replying to a newsletter or physically showing up at a market - you truly make a world of difference and it’s what has kept me going this past year.


What I’ve Learned


As I reflect on my first year out, these are 3 biggest things I’ve learned:


  1. Making art that is true to your lived experience is the most rewarding way to create (for me). Leading up to quitting my job, the art I was creating was very much inspired by other’s work. I was very guilty of scrolling social media and pinterest to find things that inspired me, only to be let down when my work didn’t have the same flair as what I’d seen online. a podcast I listened to right after I quit my job had discussed how social media can create an ecosystem where everyone is just copying each other. And it pissed me off quite frankly, because I realized I had been doing that. It was almost like I was being scolded. I took it as a hard lesson to rethink how I created, and to dig deeper into my life and experiences instead of getting sucked into creating what was commercially relevant - aka, what’s “trendy.” At that point, I challenged myself to take all my own references photos. And if i didn’t have a photo of something, I would go out and find it. This led me to flower farms when I was in the mood to paint flowers, or antique shops when I was itching for some vintage inspiration. In the end, I am so much prouder of this work. It captures a true moment in time. A memory, which no one else could dream up in their head because it’s purely mine. If other artists are reading this, I don’t want to tell you that you’re doing it “wrong” - I’m just saying this process feels the most right to me. It makes my work way less “copyable” and prevents me from being too easily influenced by others. And to me, that’s what being an artist is all about - creating from your authentic heart.

  2. Artistic style takes time. Something I heard on plenty of podcasts in my early days was that it was important to hone in on a cohesive style. This frustrated me, because I felt so far away from that magical place of having a style. Then I also heard that becoming an “expert” at something takes 10,000 hours. So if I spent 2 hours each day painting, it would still take me 13 years to be an “expert” - this honestly let me off the hook a bit. I thought to myself, “phew, I have time to figure this out!” Now that I’ve spent a year painting, I know that style takes time - because how the heck will you know what you love to paint if you don’t spend a lot of time painting it?! For example, I never thought a year ago that I wanted to paint fruit. It may have occurred to me that it was a fun subject matter, but I could never have imagined how much I enjoyed it if I didn’t buckle down and try it.

  3. No one is an overnight success. Social media definitely is to blame when it comes to this one. It’s way too easy to get caught up into the “grass is greener” mentality. Plus when people only post their highest highs, you can only assume it’s been smooth sailing for them. When I see someone go viral on social, I do find myself in a bit of a jealous rage. But I also have to remind myself that when you go viral, people stop treating you like a human being. You become a commodity that others feel they have the right to question, control and even bully. Most of all, there are expectations that become set on anyone with any bit of “fame.” So no, I don’t want that. I would much rather have a personal connection with each one of my followers and be in control of my own journey than feel the whiplash of virality.


Looking Forward: What’s Next


As I embark on year 2 in my business, I’m focusing more on financial stability and patience. A year ago, I had hope that I could accomplish anything I wanted in a year. With all that time to myself, the endless possibilities would be mine. The reality is that I spent a lot of time alone. Much of that time was working, painting, doing things to grow my business. But I have experienced a lot of isolation and found that I need a better balance, and that it’s okay to make money and spend time away from my art. In fact, I look forward to soon having part time work (hopefully still creative) that allows me to better compartmentalize my time and build a routine. Plus, get some social interaction and speak to other humans face to face. And, of course, use those wages to invest into my art business.


I also never stopped to appreciate that what I am doing is actually really hard. I have been so focused and had such tunnel vision, that I haven’t stepped back to recognize that starting a business from scratch is like searching for an unknown destination without a map. The rose colored glasses are off, but I still have my sights set on continuing this journey.


Thank you


What did you think of this post? Have you made a huge career change in your life, and what did you learn from it? Feel free to leave a comment, or email me directly.


If you want to support me and my art business, here are some ways to do that:

  • Check out my shop prints, paper goods and original paintings

  • Commission a special painting of your own

  • follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my email list - even better if you give me a shoutout on your socials - word of mouth is really the best marketing.

1 Comment


Victoria Wilhelmy
Victoria Wilhelmy
Oct 26, 2024

You are such an inspiration! What you’re doing is really hard, and you’ve put the struggle into words so well. But you are also SO talented, and following your dream which most people are too scared to do. Keep it up girl!!

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