What No One Warns You About Starting Over

Reflections on leaving my corporate career for a creative life

When I booked a one-way ticket from London to Australia, I naively thought that was the hardest part done.

I was free from everything that had held me back before — rent, a job, bills — and stepping into a world of adventure! I was travelling to find myself. I’d arrive at my destination, 15,000 miles away from the burnout and worries that once plagued me. Arms outstretched, I was open and ready for the universe to throw answers my way.

I’ve seen it happen in movies! I’ve read it in books! Fortune favours the brave.

I boarded my flight, gallantly throwing the jigsaw pieces of my life into the air. But two years later, I’m still desperately trying to arrange them into something that doesn’t look like a dropped lasagne.

I walked away from a decade in marketing to pursue a career that is neither particularly lucrative nor easy to crack. As you can imagine, I didn’t do it for financial reasons. I did it because I’ve always secretly yearned to write and live an artist’s life.

For us creatives, the call to create lies inside us like a dormant volcano. And yet, I ignored the tremors for years.

The catalyst? A health scare. A lump in my throat (not a metaphor) that my surgeon told me had a one-in-three chance of being cancer. A few days after surgery, I left the hospital ward I’d shared with women my age — some who knew the stark reality of their diagnosis, and others, like me, waiting for results.

I was one of the lucky ones. I was given the all-clear. I’d need to be on medication for the rest of my life, but that paled in comparison to the alternative reality that could so easily have been mine.

I like to think it was my body telling me: Use your voice.

Sometimes, it takes big events to put things into perspective. Sometimes, it doesn’t. We all have the right to question what we want from life. Yet in the beginning, I felt guilty for wanting change. I had received good news—who was I to ask for more when I’d already been handed a second chance?

Deep down, I knew I shouldn’t listen to these doubts. I knew what life could await me.

So if, like me, you’ve ever asked for permission — here it is, alongside a big hug:

You have the right to seek the extraordinary.

(The following is the experience of a writer - but these lessons apply to any vocation.)

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An old view in London on the way to the TATE Modern

Liminal space

It took me ten months to get my first pitch accepted and my writing published. Most of that time was spent rewiring my corporate career brain into a full-time creative one. I spent days, weeks, and months in the uncertainty of the in-between.

I avoided the work, looking to experts and written guides for a magic formula. I tried (and failed) The Artist’s Way. I hoovered and polished skirting boards. Seriously. I did anything but the uncomfortable thing: sitting my arse in a chair, staring at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard until something came out.

And when it finally did, the battle resumed. Because the writing that emerged in the beginning? Not great. I had to let it pour out of me, like a dirty tap, knowing they would never see the light of day. Until—BING!—the water started running clear. I started writing something good.

The best advice I can give when making any big change? Get used to being uncomfortable in the in-between. It might last days, or it might last years. But take it in your stride, and there’s no stopping you.

On a housesit with Lola the Lab

Outgrowing

Since I left London in 2023, friends I once heard from regularly have faded away. Texts dribbled out. In my mind, I was experiencing some of the most life-changing moments and wanted to bring everyone along for the ride. I wanted to shout from the rooftops like a Mormon doorknocker, "You won’t believe what’s out here! Step into the light! Let it set you free!"

But the harsh reality? Life goes on, with or without you. And apart from a few best friends and family members, not many people give a flying shit about your journey. Nor should they! They’re on their own path. It’s an ego-quashing pill to swallow.

If you want to rebuild your life, you can’t take the old one with you. It’s like moving house — some furniture won’t fit, and you’ll need to collect new things along the way. Understand that this is all part of the journey. As you grow, you’ll start attracting people and opportunities that better suit the current chapter of your life.

Logic

Leaving the stability of a £65,000 marketing job to become a full-time creative was nothing short of PETRIFYING. Logistically, I had to form a plan of attack. I quit my full-time job but found a part-time contract (three days a week) to provide flexibility—and, vitally, to fund the initial shift.

I have mixed thoughts on “side-hustling” your creative goals, and Amie McNee explains it much more eloquently than I ever could. I highly recommend reading her take on it.

Now for reality. I haven’t had a freelance contract come through since November 2024. I had (a small) savings buffer, but that’s nearly depleted. Some months, it feels like I’m living paycheck to paycheck.

Unless you have a hefty savings pot or trust fund, changing careers may bring financial stress in the interim. To manage that, my partner and I decided to housesit full-time to allow more time for making art. There are always creative workarounds, and if your situation allows, don’t let society’s definition of “normal” stop you from exploring them.

While I want to give practical advice, I also want to stress that if you want something badly enough, it will happen. As hard as it is, you have to ask yourself: What could go right? Not just: What could go wrong?

I remind myself of this every day.

Humans are built for change. It’s in our DNA. Think of how we shed our skin throughout life — school, university, relationships, parenthood, retirement.

Watch as the seasons shift. As the tiny acorn grows into a stoic oak. As buds push through cracks in the pavement. As the moon waxes and wanes.

You do not need to remain sedentary. You are allowed to want more from life. You are allowed to become someone new. It does not make you selfish, ungrateful, or restless. It shows you wish to experience your life!

We are more capable than we give ourselves credit for. The best thing we can do is show ourselves grace and kindness as we navigate change and uncharted waters.

I’d love to know… Are you navigating change right now? Do you desire to change your life? What’s holding you back?

And if you’ve come out the other side in one piece—please, send me words of encouragement and advice, too...

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If you’re new here…

Hello! I’m Hannah, a writer currently housesitting around the UK with my partner while working on my debut book. After a decade of burnout in luxury marketing in London, I’ve spent the past year travelling and exploring ways to slow down my life and savour time — while making every day as romantic as possible.

My mission is to inspire you to embrace a gentler life, one fueled by purpose, passion, and self-care. I’d be delighted if you came along for the ride.