Want to retrain and considering interior design or textiles, jewellery design

[Beads22]

So, I’m in my 40s, 2 kids of school age and the youngest start nursery next year.
Been a SAHM for the last 5 years and the last year a single parent.

My previous working life was in mental health field, left as a senior nurse. Have no desire to return to the NHS.

I really and truly want to do something for me now. Show the kids it’s not too late for mum!
I absolutely love fabrics, making and upcycling things. Love making lampshades out of different materials.
I make beaded bracelets and necklaces but considering exploring silversmithing.
I’d love to work with different materials/colours/problem solve.

My question is am I too old for a complete change in career. Do I need a degree or can I develop my practice through short term courses.

Would appreciate any advice from interior designers/jewellery makers/designers/textiles artists on here.

Upholsterer. Retrained aged 38ish. (Pandemic showed the training a lot) I don’t have a degree. My portfolio is most important. No one has ever asked to see a certificate of training.
make sure you fully understand fire regulations.
Selling on Etsy is harder than you think.
Word of mouth is golden.

It’s a very very tough industry to break into. And they only want to be for cheap young people.

Sorry

I’d say you need skills more than you need a degree. Degrees are stupidly expensive now and have a lot of academic components that are of no practical use.

I wouldn’t expect to get a paid job though. Jobs in those fields are few and far between. The vast majority of silversmiths and people who upcycle stuff are self employed. You would need to consider how to support yourself whilst your business gets established. Look at doing a business plan - what would you sell, where would you sell it, where would your stock come from, etc. Perhaps focus on one thing, e.g. start a lighting company that supplies small homewares stores.

It’s not a structured employment path.

Its mainly freelance. There are companies who employ designers, but as l said it’s difficult to get into and they don’t pay well.

Agree with this. Have a business plan.
it takes a long time to actually start making money. Particularly if you need to rent a workspace or buy equipment.

and renting a workspace is hard! They are few and far between. I need one cos my business takes a lot of space.

I know people who trained with me and now have nowhere to work.

I am a silversmith. Extremely difficult to make a living from, it is such a saturated market.

There’s also the issue of cost of living increases. When people’s energy bills treble they will cut out non essentials. Less eating out, less treats and experiences, less jewellery and less pretty home decor like lampshades. The next year or two is going to be a very hard time for small businesses. Unless you aim right at the top of the market and cater for the rich who still have disposable income.

I have a 1st class Textile Design degree plus a year in industry experience in some well known companies from 4 years ago. There is no jobs, it is so competitive, the jobs are also paid so poorly. Even junior Textile Designer roles are given to those with 3/4 years experience rather than new graduates, with new graduates having to go for Design assistant (admin basically) jobs very poorly paid. If you want to work for a textiles company you will need digital design skills (CAD) rather than textiles skills. All the fun bit, making, pattern cutting etc is done in factories abroad. My peers who have stayed in textiles are all max 20k (in London) and there is no room for progression. It is a very saturated job market!

I have retrained to be an occupational therapist so I can use my crafty skills there instead!

If you don’t want to work for a textiles company/ studio/ supplier etc as such you may be better starting your own seamstress business etc. It depends what type of thing you want to do I suppose! Best of luck and feel free to drop me a message if you do want any advice regarding the degree route xx

In creative industries I think what is necessary, and what is more possible today than ever, is to just "do" rather than try to qualify.

So instead of asking 'what degree?' you go and 'do' instead.

Build a portfolio by doing work for nothing of your own volition. Yes you're working for nothing, but paying for a degree is kind of a similar thing, but instead of a qualification you get word of mouth, which in creative industries is worth so much more.

Honestly, I'm not really sure these spheres would be enough to make a living. As a freelance they would be a really nice adding to your main job but as a sole income source... Not so sure.

That being said, there are plenty of courses and tutorials online to learn the basics to start with, there are also design software like interior-design3d.com/ or www.sketchup.com//products/sketchup-pro that you can use for your work, i.e. plenty of opportunities to start with and learn! It's just that the path itself isn't that structured and highly competitive to make it the main thing you rely on, imo.

Do it as a hobby, sell at markets and fayres. As a PP said Etsy is harder than you think so have your own FB/insta pages.

I don’t agree with this. If you sell on Etsy or at markets you are positioning yourself as a hobbyist or amateur, someone who makes cheap handmade tat at home. It would be better to register a limited company and offer services to select clients. Build your own website and sell a small collection of items. Create a brochure and show it to interior design companies. Tell them you can make items from your catalogue or bespoke items as required. Make a few samples and try to get them stocked at small homewares shops. And price high - if something is cheap people assume it’s rubbish. Branding and marketing is everything.

That's not true at all and shows you know little about the market 🙄

I literally run an interiors business. Wouldn’t touch an amateur supplier who sold via Etsy or a local market, it wouldn’t fit with the luxury image. I would purchase from a self employed designer who operated as a limited company; such people usually offer a standard product collection plus bespoke commissions, and they outsource the production of the standard collection and only make the bespoke items themselves.

wow @Dadaya what a snobbish response, utterly dismissive of other people's experiences.

Afaik the OP hasn't expressed a particular interest in pursuing the luxury market.

I have a website, and am on Etsy AND sell at markets, I imagine I must be utter riffraff.

I agree with @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I'd start small with an Etsy shop which is lowcost compared to other options (forget Folksy, some people do well there but it doesn't have the numbers imo) But be aware it is harder than most people imagine, but fine if you put the time and work into learning how the system works. Markets can be lucrative, but it takes time to find the good ones, and it can be competitive to get a place.

If you decide on jewellery I agree with @GuyFawkesDay there are many MANY jewellery makers out there. There is money to be made, but you'd be very very lucky to make a living from it, especially initially. There is probably more money in teaching jewellery making than actually making jewellery.

And of course the current economic climate is a shitshow.

If I was you, I'd pursue your creative interests, but alongside another job so any profits are a bonus, rather than absolutely relied upon, and maybe it will develop into a full time gig.

Good luck.

Wow! Thank you for all the advice and suggestions. I will reply longer soon.
There are a lot of valid points made here and has given me lots to think about.

Hi, just my own two cents is that jewellery makers who have a particular cultural niche can do quite well. For example, in Ireland, silver and goldsmiths who do the intricate celtic designs and imagery do very well. People with connections to Ireland love buying a Claddagh ring or a beautiful necklace that symbolises Irish culture. Maybe wherever you are, you could tap into a cultural theme? Good for selling to tourists as well. Some of these makers get high prices for their work too.

Thank you @Whattheladybirdsaidnext I did think about Upholstery and did see a few local courses that did stir my interest. But I had it in my head this craft needed a degree and you are absolutely right it’s about having a good portfolio. That is what matters.

And yes, the space.. That’s great you have the space, I’m guessing a workshop at home/in the garden.

Good luck with it all! 😊

You also need time. it’s not just learning how, it’s also practice. You can’t earn a living immediately and it’s expensive to practice. Admittedly, pandemic, but I’m only just making money now.

@AnneButNotHathaway @ArseInTheCoOpWindow @Dadaya @GuyFawkesDay @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor @Nellynoo182 @Varoty @YouCrazyDiamond @whentheraincame @Whattheladybirdsaidnext

thank you all for your valid input.
I think you’re absolutely right the best path now would be to do this as a hobby. I will try a few fairs and see how that goes and then I’ll look into a platform like Esty.

I think I just need to focus on one or two crafts and develop my skills, practice, practice, practice and see how things go.

I very much appreciate all the sound advice you’ve all offered. Many thanks! 😀