I quit my corporate tech job to be a full-time artist!
Wow, that is something I never thought i'd be saying. If you're new here, my name is Emily Winslow and I am a fine artist based in Indianapolis! I mostly paint with watercolor, but also love to work with oils and acrylics.
Let me take you through a little story-time on my art journey, and how I made the decision to leave my corporate job!
Where it started
In the summer of 2021, I began my journey as a watercolor artist by following a 30-day challenge where I painted something new each day! My husband started his MBA that summer and I wanted to find something to do while he took classes at night. It started as just a hobby I enjoyed doing after work, but little did I know, it would turn into something much bigger!
In general, I've always loved art, but it's not something that I ever thought I'd pursue professionally. I went to college and graduated with a degree in Business Analytics and then began my career at a tech company in 2019. So I always feel that I stumbled upon my art business on accident, it was never my intention to eventually quit my tech career.
My first few posts vs more recent! It takes time to find a style!
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Growing my art business
In the earlier days of my art business, I mostly painted watercolor landscapes and some home commissions. I remember my very first craft show and how I was SO excited to sell a few pieces of art.
I slowly expanded my skill set and was pushed out of my comfort zone when I started offering live wedding paintings. But I fell in love with them and how special it is to capture wedding days on canvas. Large Art Fairs, selling in gift shops, commissions, and galleries are also now part of my art business
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Over the years as I continued to grow my art career, juggling both my full-time job and art was becoming increasingly difficult. However, being in a remote tech job was incredibly helpful as I had the flexibility to work on my art before my 9-5 and during lunch hours. I felt like I wasn't able to give either one my 100% effort. It was time to choose one.
When I decided to leave my job
Back in my college days, I did a summer internship with a large financial company, and I have to say, it was not my jam. But, I remember one conversation I had with the director over the interns. She asked me how my experience was so far and if I was enjoying my time there. I started to tear up because, no I wasn't enjoying my time, and I was wondering if I would be stuck in a career I didn't want to be in for the rest of my life. She said: "It's okay if this place isn't for you, but you need to find something that jazzes you up with you wake up each morning and pursue that with all your heart".
That statement stuck with me, because when I was struggling to juggle both my tech career and art, I had to ask myself: what did I want my life to look like in 10 years? And I saw myself as an artist for the long haul.
It took me a long time to be comfortable with the decision to leave my corporate job, because it offered financial stability! I am so thankful for my husband and the work he does would allow us to live off of his income, but I also wanted to contribute to our financial goals especially before we have kids. Finally, I felt that I grew my art business to a place where I could leave my tech job and continue putting my all into it. And wow was it relieving to finally turn in my laptop for good.
So here we are in 2025, and i'm praying for the blessings and provisions for my art business!
Thank you all for being here and following a long on my journey! You can checkout my YouTube channel for a full video on this story!
With Love,
Emily Winslow