Creative on the go!
It’s that time again for our family to move to our next post. Let me explain. Our family moves every 2 to 3 years to a new country due to my husband’s job. Despite the challenges, I am grateful, because this crazy life style gave me the opportunity to become an artist! An artist on the go!
Do you want to learn more about a portable career? Keep reading!
Let me back up a few years… Exactly 8 years ago. If you had asked me back then, I would have had no idea what a surface pattern designer was. Let alone imagine I would one day become one of them! It was a very different time. My husband and I lived in Baltimore. I was working as a scientist which included lots of late nights and weekends. My husband worked in DC and in lucky days he had a three hour commute. We knew we wanted to start a family and we also knew we wanted to be the ones raising our future kids.
That’s me at a conference ages ago presenting my pretty bright cells to important scientists.
Just to make sure, I am the one in the yellow sweater.
When my husband got offered a job at the State Department I was ready to give it a try. It wasn’t easy to leave my scientific career behind, I loved what I did and I still miss it to this day. But, honestly, being successful in science and raising kids didn’t seem compatible unfortunately. So, since the life of a scientist doesn’t provide a good work-life balance I walked away.
Life in the Foreign Service (diplomatic life, that is!) hasn’t come without challenges. One of the main ones, for me, has been finding jobs. Yes, I quit doing science but I still wanted to have a career that makes me happy. So, I tried working for the embassy, teaching, applying to remote jobs … But, for several different reasons I am not going to get into in this post, none of it worked.
So, I went back to my hobbies. What do I like to do? I like to knit, to sew, and to draw… I like to make things! However, I was always told I am not a good artist and being an artist anyway is not a doable career because… who lives out of making pretty drawings, right? So, I considered a sewing business, at first. Honestly, it took me so long to create anything, it wasn’t even worth it. Not to mention, the whole nightmare of the shipping logistics from all over the world (Russia, Colombia… ). Then, one day, my oldest daughter (yes, during all this time I had two smart, kind, and beautiful daughters!) asked me for a dress with dinosaurs. After, I couldn’t find any fabric designs she liked I thought, …
What if I make it myself?
And that was the moment where it all started. I didn’t even know at the time that the job I was considering for myself was called ‘SURFACE PATTERN DESIGNER’. But also, at that moment, I got flooded with questions:
- How do I do it?
- What do I need? Software? Printing services?
- How expensive is to get started?
- Is it a portable career? How viable is this crazy idea?
- Can I do it even if I can’t draw to save my life?
Wonderful google helped me piece a lot of it together, little by little. So two years later, I call myself a surface pattern designer or textile designer. I am still learning, yes! And that’s one of the things I love about this job. There is so much to learn and I love to learn! And please, trust me when I say there is A LOT to learn! But with a growth mindset there is nothing you can’t do. The other great thing about becoming a designer is that it is a portable career! In fact, everything I need fits on my carry on!
AND … that’s me now! I have a lot more wrinkles and grey hair… but truly, working from a Greek Island beats working in a dark basement.
Not to mention, these days I don’t run into any disagreements with my boss!
You can be the judge!
So, this time around we are moving to Kenia (in Africa!) but it doesn’t matter I can still be a surface pattern designer from Africa. So can you from where ever you are! And if you want to learn more about a creative career that you gives you a lot of time flexibility, plus location freedom but you have a gazillion questions, like I did, feel free to reach out. I will be happy to answer any questions you might have!
In the meantime, if you want to join our little community of creatives join our Facebook group. I am super happy to have found a career that makes me happy and allows me to be present for my girls. I want the same for you!
Like always, thank you for being here from the bottom of my heart and thanks for reading!
Ana