Totally confused!

[Liftmyselfupagain]

I am supposedly so well qualified but I cannot see myself progressing in my career. Had a very traumatic time having kids and I honestly think I’ve lost my bottle for my old career and it’s just not flexible enough for my kids who are in primary school. Old career, property, accountant corporate finance, project management etc. Very much a man’s world and I would like a more human orientated career.

Personally I love fine art and have started again in the last few years Always have and wish I had pursued it straight out of school, but dismayed my parents with the idea, even though it was clearly my strength. I know I could earn some money doing this but I feel like it’s such a flaky career and not reliable enough to be independent. I would have liked to have been a barrister either but way too old for that now at 44.

I am being encourage to take a year to pursue this now and perhaps write, however the anxiety of not earning much or anything and not being independent is eating me up.

i would really like to retrain - but I can’t seem to focus. I am seen as very capable and perhaps entrepreneurial or a problem solver, but all the ideas I have had have never progressed from being just ideas. So I worry sometimes I’m just a dreamer but then see other people pursuing non traditional and perhaps creative careers.

I have thought of arts management but v few jobs in that where I am and it’s pretty sewn up. Curating or museum studies but again so few jobs. Art therapy I looked at but I am no sure I am cut out for group therapy in institutions. I know there are a lot of buts there!!

the most sensible thing to do would be to do something similar ish to what I’ve done and leverage from that experience and not waste it. I just don’t want to be in an office for the rest of my life full time, I break out in a sweat thinking of it!

I am creative, probably a free spirit in a way, but used to security of a career. I’m seen as competent and ambitious but have been through a wringer for 10 years in personal life and I just don’t know if I can do corporate anymore.

i would love your thoughts :)

It is difficult to get into the arts as a career. You mention you’d like to be a barrister but too old but you’re not. You can be 50 and in a career you don’t want or you could be 50 and a barrister. There are plenty of mature students. Does the OU do a relevant degree where you can study whilst continuing to earn money in your current job?
As for arts, again the practical route is to continue earning but pursue your dream and take the first step towards your future, if you know you can earn money from fine arts then do it on a part time basis whilst continuing to earn.
if you feel you need guidance or motivation, it may be worth contacting a career coach to work out what you want to do and how to do it.

Your background suggests you are good at sales and management. I'd lean into that. Is say most careers are about getting into the right circles and networks. If you want to be in arts management you can be but it means chucking yourself into going to events, aggressive marketing of yourself online and really networking yourself until you are known by the right people.

Have you considered just having a job that pays and then putting more into your hobbies though? Becoming a part time magistrate?

OP, because so many people want to do curating and museums, it’s very hard to get into without a masters, which is expensive to take, and the resulting jobs are, at least initially, rather poorly paid as well. As you have observed, there aren’t that many of them, either. With an accountant and project management background, I would have thought there were any number of careers where you could make use of your existing skills. As you say yourself, “the most sensible thing to do would be to do something similar ish to what I’ve done and leverage from that experience and not waste it.” Your DC won’t be at primary school for ever - as they get older, perhaps you could follow your dreams and do something creative as a side hustle? Or perhaps find a job for, say, four days a week and pursue your creative bent on the other day? It’s hard, once you reach a certain level in a job, to have to go back to the beginning and become the inexperienced newbie, and if economic independence is important to you, I’d look at what you already know that could perhaps be adapted into a more creative field.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I agree with so many of them. Decision paralysis mode…..

I work in arts management. Not easy to get into and not necessarily creative, either.

But with your skillset you would be very useful to a small arts charity. Most of them look for people with your background to volunteer on their boards. Why don’t you do that, and start to build some networks that way? I can imagine a (paid) role for you as a strategic manager in an arts organisation where your experience is really valued and you also get to support art and creativity. Just remember that those jobs are not about being a creative yourself - you need to do that in your spare time! Or alongside a part time role.

(The good news is that the arts sector is very accommodating and welcoming to people who need to have a creative practice on the side and you may well find some like minded souls.)

NB pay is very bad though so take a look at salaries to lower your expectations!