Hands on creative work. That's what feels right to me in the last few months.
I tried so hard to see if there was still a chance I'd want a marketing job. I entertained all messages from potential employers offering me a shot at what past me would deem a dream job. But it felt so weird. It's like I was pretending to be someone I no longer am.
The opportunities were interesting both in terms of challenges and pay. I could be the founding marketer for a new initiative at a big tech company in San Francisco and make $300K base along with bonus and other incentives. But now it finally sunk in. There is no marketing role out there that could make me go back to work when I feel I want to barf and cringe every time I hear someone say AI and when I'm I have the privilege of being able to choose if and when I go back or not.
It's pathetically weird you know?
The whole moving on from an identity you knew and thought would be you forever. I guess I'm always a content marketer. No San Francisco tech billboard is safe from my copywriting critique and pissed of car rants about great creative work being silenced by layer upon layers of needless opinions and their egos (I'm cringing but it's true) 😜
But anyway, I've been feeling really into the world of interior design.
Specifically, I'm interested in upcycling solid wood furniture and vintage lamps. I've always been interested in interior design and art. My mom is an interior designer and artist so growing up my creativity was something I frequently explored. I originally went to school for graphic design before I dropped out to focus on my marketing internship turned full-time job.
I told myself I wasn't good enough to be a designer. I don't regret it because in that chapter I did feel more connected to marketing than design. However, I do feel I could've (and still want to) challenge myself more creatively. I want to explore creative skills and see what I feel.
Maybe furniture upcycling isn't what I'll ended up building a career out of or maybe it will. But that's not the point. The point is to explore. To have fun and learn about myself. I'm so lucky to be able to have the privilege to do this and so I should take advantage in my free time.
Yeah, about that...
Free time.
Making time is hard. Not just time but uninterrupted time blocks longer than 20 to 30 minutes. I haven't had a moment for deep work since I quit my fucking job! I no longer have my parents nearby since we moved to California so my already scarce free time is even more limited.
I'm not sure how I'll do it but I'll make it work. My next project is to find a small piece of furniture and resell it. I've fixed several pieces for my own home at this point (three, to be precise).
I'm ready to see if this is a fun hobby or also a source of income.
Alrighty, gotta go. 20 minutes of free time are gonesies. Time to put the kiddo to bed.
