A career in the arts seems like a huge leap to programming. But I think there are many parallels: both careers require the discipline and proclivity towards self-learning, as well as a collaborative attitude.
Unsurprisingly, this was a tough decision. I think everyone who has faced a career switch has the same dilemma.
It’s hard to get away from the mindset of ‘sunken cost’. You have a network of cool [insert industry] friends, and the identity attached to a long comfortable career can be difficult to walk away from. Perhaps you have achieved a level of fame in your career, and have mentees under your wings that you feel bad for leaving behind. Perhaps you have a family to support, and the instability of leaving your career feels ill-advised.
I’m fortunate enough to not have mouths to feed, and the opportunity to still pursue illustration freelance should I choose to. But what I have learned from pursuing my passion is that passion is not immutable, and human desires are complicated.
I was always happy to go in for work. I felt greedy for wanting more, knowing that I signed up for this with the full knowledge of its specific hardships and joys. Work never really felt like ‘work’. I was working in a start-up with a friend, who didn’t mind us strolling in at odd hours and debating politics at work as long as we got the job done. We hung out for drinks and board games after work hours.
16-year old me would have felt like this was ‘the good life’. Part of me still feels that way.
I ruminated about a career switch for a year. Some of the tipping points were pragmatic reasons:
- I recently moved out and would like to have more financial stability, in preparation as well for a long-term relationship.
- I am at a stage of my career where I have achieved most of what I would like to achieve as a studio artist.
Some of them were less tangible. I am unable to measure how much my brief foray into philosophy and concepts such as ikigai (生き甲斐), as well the recommendations at 80000hours have influenced me.
As someone prone to navel-gazing, I am increasingly cognizant of the diminishing returns of an artistic career in terms of personal growth (YMMV). There are artists who are obsessed with the refinement of their craft, and there are those who love the thrill of satisfying their fans (as well as the money that brings, of course).
I fall in the third category of artists who want to create art like those that they have been deeply affected by (for me it was Oyasumi Punpun and Ghost in the Shell). The reality is that the commercial success of such works is a bit of a crapshoot and it’s rare to land such projects as a studio artist.
I knew I had to switch my career when I realized I was not excited at the prospects of progressing in my current career track. Instead, having a few select works exhibited in an art gallery or selecting a few freelance projects felt more enticing than working at a AAA game company.
I have chosen programming, specifically because it is a high-impact skill/ career. There is also a rich mother lode of resources and mentors to learn from, and niches to which I can contribute to. One aspect that I’m optimistic about, is the possible amalgamation of what I know in both fields. I am a fan of multipotentiality. Taking such a huge lateral leap across the false dichotomy of left/right brain thinking does not mean that my expertise in the arts should be wasted.
I will be quitting my job as a senior artist to enter a 3 months long programming bootcamp, which starts in January 2019. This blog catalogs my journey and beyond.
Stuff I Have Learnt 