This time last year I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life–a graphic designer. I enrolled in the graduate graphic design program at a local university. I spent an unbelievable amount on art supplies, textbooks, and software. I was ready to go.
As a former production editor, I had some experience with desktop publishing and graphic design. The career switch made sense until I encountered a graphics class which nearly did me in. The class was 15 weeks of pure hell. Each week I had a new project to present, a revision to turn in, and a brainstorming project, as well as reading and writing assignments. I turned in all assignments, but was exhausted by the effort. This 6-credit class was a life-changing experience.
I logged in about 40 hours per week on the class over the course of the semester. The workload made be grateful that I don’t work, however, I have three children, a husband, and a house to run. With the stress of the class and all my time spent on projects for my class, I went in to survival mode. Children were fed, laundry was done, and the schoolwork was checked, but that was it.
As I left the final presentation for the class mid-May, I have never been so grateful for anything to end. I finished all my projects for the class, but the toll it took on my family was too great. Bottom line: a solo career in graphic design is not for me.
Being a mother is HARD, whether you work out of the home, work in the home, take care of the kids, go to school, etc. It is just hard.
So what do you want to be when you grow up?!
I'm in a similar boat. I did marketing and graphic design work before I stayed home with my kids. Well, it wasn't even really graphic design, more of a production artist, but that was the part of the job I LOVED.
Now I'm considering taking graphic design courses at my local community college in the spring: PhotoShop, Illustrator, & InDesign. The idea is that I'd get myself a new MacBook, the updated software, and hang out a shingle as a freelancer.
But I'm a little afraid of what happened to you happening to me. What if I try & can't handle it, for whatever reason? What if all the time & money I spend are wasted?
I guess that's why the say "You never know until you try."
Still trying to decide what to be when I grow up!