Ask HN: Any successful transitions from a tech/IT career to working in the arts?

Asking this to read about some personal stories and/or advice. I read a lot about people transitioning from regular tech/programming jobs to maybe quants/finances etc., but rarely about arts (literature, music, sociology, history etc.).

I got into a CS curriculum right after finishing my high school on a whim; I'd always wanted to pursue a career in literature/writing/journalism from a younger age (but couldn't due to personal reasons). Now that I'm almost 27 and have been in the industry for ~5 years now, I'm wondering if I should decide on taking the plunge, or at least plan for it... since I do feel the friction in transitioning getting a bit higher as I spend more time in this field.

Try whatever it is you want as a side gig first. I've known a lot of humanities focused individuals from school, and by and large, they struggle mightily to find work and jobs to fill the hours. Many get part time side gig like work and live a meager existence. Others give up and look for something lucrative. And if you're passionate about those subjects as a mere hobby, side gigging will teach you whether you can actually make a career from it, before you leave tech.

A word of warning, the nice jobs in your target fields are very very hard to get, you'll probably struggle to compete if you're not focused on writing and humanities since school. You may shoot your resume into fifty black holes before anyone gives you the time of day, probably because every opening gets hundreds of resumes for something like Literature Critic or Staff Writer.

In the end, that's all prudence allowing you to keep your lucrative tech job while experimenting. But if you really can't stomach tech, maybe you should try a hybrid idea. Get into tech journalism or writing about tech first, and then use that stepping stone to write about whatever else later on.

Good luck!!

I haven't made the transition but know a few creatives— some of whom hold down other jobs (including my wife). I think the standard advice is to try it as a hobby instead of taking the plunge. See if you can make it work at any scale.

There is also a real chance that you won't like it as a full-time career, and there are myriad reasons why. Some personal (e.g. loneliness) others environmental (e.g. politics). A career in tech has issues, to be sure, but so does a career in any other field.

If you like the data you gather in the experimental phase then take the plunge.

I wrote a book in the mornings and after work, as well as on the weekends. It was hard work and incredibly satisfying. While I hoped to publish, I didn't put nearly enough effort into finding a literary agent, etc. Through the process I learned just how hard writing is and while I still dream of being an author, I've decided not to quit my day job for it yet. There's no playbook for how to transition to the arts from CS afaik. Society will think you are weird etc for wanting to do that..."there's no money in it"

There are quite a few Sci-Fi authors who have a Tech/STEM career background.