That’s right, I quit.
I spent the last 8 years living a double life. By day I was “Chie the program manager” who worked in tech, and once the sun set I became “Chie the lettering artist” who hustled in her free time.
Honestly, I enjoyed juggling these two lives. Both allowed me to explore my curiosity and find fulfillment in different ways. The inspiration from one gig seamlessly flowed into the other, like some kind of creative osmosis. And the positive energy I got from my colleagues fueled my personal projects, creating this unstoppable momentum.
It was invigorating.
But slowly over the past year, that momentum started to fade away. Day by day, I found myself less and less excited about my job. And it started to affect my creative work too.
At first, I thought it was just a temporary rut. But that rut persisted for days, weeks, and months. After a certain point, I realized I was burned out.
My ego prevented me from quitting when I needed to. So I stayed, pushing myself harder than I should’ve, desperately trying to make things work. In the process, I lost touch with who I really was.
Finally, after coming back from a much-needed vacation and realizing that I had zero excitement to go back to work, I decided it was time to call it quits. I gave my two weeks’ notice, and my last day was exactly a month ago.
So, what’s next?
I’m hitting the pause button on my work life. I’m focusing on taking care of myself, doing things that fill my cup and create a more meaningful, enjoyable, and purposeful life with space for growth and new opportunities.
I’m calling it a creative sabbatical.
During this sabbatical I’m committing to being a full-time creative. It’s always been a dream to live a life where I can shamelessly do art and work on creative projects all day. Last year, when I celebrated my 30th birthday, I realized that the best gift I could give myself was a chance to make that dream come true. So here I am, handing myself that gift.
There are many things I can embark on in this chapter. For now, I’ll be diving into the freelance world as a lettering artist and illustrator. Along the way, I’ll explore personal projects in various art forms, writing, teaching, and maybe other types of content.
There’s a lot of uncertainty bundled up in this chapter and it scares the hell out of me. But I know I’m also incredibly fortunate to have the means to embark on this journey, and I’m excited to see what new adventures lie ahead of me.
So here’s to pressing the pause button, embracing the discomfort, and living a happier and healthy life. Cheers! 🥂
