Career change from Business to Creative? Help!

I am VERY indecisive, and it is quite crippling at times. I went to a 4-year college and came out with a Marketing degree after struggling to choose a major multiple times, I ended up 'following the money' because I didn't know my passions, and I am now regretting that.

Fast forward 4 years and 2 jobs later: I am currently in a junior role at a market research company. The pay is good and the people are great, but I've been here for over 2 years and I feel like I haven't learned a damn thing. Sure, I know more buzzwords now and can check questionnaires and surveys for typos, but overall, I don't feel any more valuable after being here. The workload fluctuates so much that I am usually incredibly stressed, or bored out of my mind. I don't care about the work, it's hard for me to be passionate about the types of projects I work on. It actually kind of upsets me to know that I am helping greedy corporate giants make more money off of consumers via the work I do. I want to help people, not companies.

So, I am at the point now where I want to look for new jobs, but I still have no idea what route to go down. I don't think corporate life is for me, but I guess I don't know that for sure since I have such little experience.

I have taken a few career aptitude tests and they all come out saying that I am fit for a creative role like photography, writing, art. And I am a pretty creative person, I love to paint and make things with my hands in my free time, and I am a singer in a band. However, I don't want to make the mistake of making my hobbies into a job and then come to resent them. I am just so lost.

I have been thinking about a few different career ideas that all seem up my alley from a surface level, but I really don't want to jump into a career change unless I know that the stress-level will be significantly less, I can be supported financially, and the job is stable.

Would love to get feedback on my below ideas and if you have any ideas that are similar that might be better suited for someone with my interests/experience!

Here are some of the ideas I've had and the reasoning:

• Elementary school art teacher (I don't mind kids, I like to teach/help people, I like art, and this seems low stress. I also love the idea of having summer off-- I hate that American working culture entails spending more time at work than with my loved ones, so this would be a huge plus for me)

• Event planner/wedding planner (I looove hosting parties/events at my place. It gives me great pleasure to creatively problem solve, plan out fun activities and find cheap ways to decorate. I have been told by numerous people that I am an excellent host and my parties are always looked forward to. I love doing things for people and having something to show for it, so I think I would definitely get the satisfaction I desire from a job like this)

• Airbnb Host (I don't know if this is a job that could fully support me, but I just love the idea of creating awesome environments for guests and just taking care of people's needs. I also love working on things physically, so renovating and building is not an issue for me)

• Starting my own business; An LGBTQ and disability inclusive 'Self Care Studio' -- this is one of my newest ideas so I'm still working out the kinks, but like I mentioned, I love hosting parties, and I have had some very successful Self Care themed nights that inspired me to think of it as a career. To keep it short, it would be a salon/music/creative activity hybrid studio, just a place for anyone and everyone to get their nails/hair done, open mic nights, crafts, etc. in a safe and welcoming space. (I love the idea of being my own boss, but I know it would be a big risk, and I would have to take a huge loss at the beginning before this became successful, not really even sure how I would fund it to begin with, so this may be more of a pipe dream)

If you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading. I am always open to privately messaging to bounce ideas off each other, especially if you are in a similar situation and want someone to chat with! Thanks!

Submitted July 29, 2019 at 06:22PM by DIL3MMA https://ift.tt/2MnpQ0Q