I've been playing the piano and composing music for over a decade. Last year, I started getting paid as a ghost composer, and since then, I've been composing more songs per week on average than ever before in my life. I don't regret anything; I love everything I've composed for the person who hired me, and getting paid for it is an incredible bonus. It's almost like a dream come true that I never sought or aimed for. I also didn't feel any less of an artist for accepting payment for my work. I simply believe that we need to take some of the romanticism out of the notion that to be a true artist, you have to starve.
Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
111–120 of 159 posts
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#112With AI hitting Art, and the Engineering Job Market right now, is it a toss which is the worse choice?
AI is hitting engineering now too, no? (Sure in small ways now, but I imagine it would be one of the first targets considering it is engineers doing it) Since covid I left tech and have been working at ayahuasca retreat centers (assisting and managing) and apprenticing. Frankly I can't imagine a career less at risk to AI replacement! Maybe someone should start a job board for AI-proof gigs.
Who do you think is going to pay for the retreats when all the high paying white collar jobs are gone? the economy will collapse which inevitably will affect you regardless of your job
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#113If I were to transition from software engineering, I'd prioritize a role that meets the following criteria: 1. Minimizes screen time and doesn't rely heavily on computers for productivity. 2. Allows me to disconnect after work without constant notifications or calls. 3. Offers stability, requiring minimal adaptation to new trends or technologies. 4. Lastly, and more importantly, not easily replaceable by AI in the ne…
These are the roles I seriously considered and actively explored to some degree or another. 1. Electrician. It's not something you can just jump into, even if you're the type who can grok 100% of the theory, equipment, and electrical code overnight. Even after you're all trained up, you have to rank up through various levels, most of which require working under someone else for X number of years. It takes a decade or…
I think if most disgruntled devs put honest thought into it like you did, they would reach the same conclusion, I certainly did, esp with a family.
I have also started to try getting more aggressive with investments
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#114Reminds me of the classic: "Sorry I missed your comment of many months ago. I no longer build software; I now make furniture out of wood. The hours are long, the pay sucks, and there's always the opportunity to remove my finger with a table saw, but nobody asks me if I can add an RSS feed to a DBMS, so there's that :-)" https://github.com/docker/cli/issues/267#issuecomment-695149...
I remember a quantum information theorist went to become a hard labourer in construction because he thought "physical labour is food for the soul"
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Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Funny how dominant languages of the past have died but now the lingua angla feels forever. I wonder if that's how it feels to be at the height of some culture's age: it feels immortal. Then it falls and is only remembered as the past: either as humorous, or as sophisticated, but not meant for normal use. We shall cement this one by creating AIs in the American image.
The same can be said for empires in general. Dominance seems forever until it isn't, and often the "higher you go the faster you fall" idea plays out. There are plenty of signs that the US could be in the midst of its own empire failing. Whether that actually plays out is something we wouldn't know for decades or centuries, but there sure are a lot of parallels to failed empires of the past.
The question we need to ask isn't whether Pax Americana is dying, but who is going to succeed it.
So far it seems like it'll be China on account of there being no other country or bloc able to compete at that level, but that would be very unpleasant for us westerners.
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm pretty sure you are severely understimating the amount of work that goes into quality art pieces, no matter the medium. Also, thinking of customers as "fools" only makes sense if you believe you are selling/producing garbage. If what you make has value, then whoever buys it is no fool.
You're also underestimating the amount of great quality art that simply doesn't sell. Hence the power of marketing. And the art that sells for lots and lots of money is also marketing and financial gimmicks the art world does behind the scenes. Unfortunately it's not quality that matters, it's the notoriety of the artist. It goes back to marketing in circles.
Perhaps the same can be said of tech.
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are the roles I seriously considered and actively explored to some degree or another. 1. Electrician. It's not something you can just jump into, even if you're the type who can grok 100% of the theory, equipment, and electrical code overnight. Even after you're all trained up, you have to rank up through various levels, most of which require working under someone else for X number of years. It takes a decade or…
I think if most disgruntled devs put honest thought into it like you did, they would reach the same conclusion, I certainly did, esp with a family. I have also started to try getting more aggressive with investments
ditto
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
The same can be said for empires in general. Dominance seems forever until it isn't, and often the "higher you go the faster you fall" idea plays out. There are plenty of signs that the US could be in the midst of its own empire failing. Whether that actually plays out is something we wouldn't know for decades or centuries, but there sure are a lot of parallels to failed empires of the past.
The question we need to ask isn't whether Pax Americana is dying, but who is going to succeed it. So far it seems like it'll be China on account of there being no other country or bloc able to compete at that level, but that would be very unpleasant for us westerners.
Uncomfortable situations are seed for evolution. Westerners has no real need to do audacious steps, because they don't feel threatened. When China will take over from USA, I would not be surprised that there will be some ingenious way how Western civilization will rebuild itself.
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
I remember a quantum information theorist went to become a hard labourer in construction because he thought "physical labour is food for the soul"
And I want to become a quantum theorist. I think being able to manipulate symbols on paper and explain the universe is food for the soul. Grass always seems greener on the other side. :-)
> And I want to become a quantum theorist. I think being able to manipulate symbols on paper and explain the universe is food for the soul. Grass always seems greener on the other side. :-)
I don't think this is a case of "grass always seems greener on the other side", but of getting a job as a quantum theorist. It is hard to find (and keep for a long time) a job in your area of academia. :-(
Re: Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time
#120Reminds me of the classic: "Sorry I missed your comment of many months ago. I no longer build software; I now make furniture out of wood. The hours are long, the pay sucks, and there's always the opportunity to remove my finger with a table saw, but nobody asks me if I can add an RSS feed to a DBMS, so there's that :-)" https://github.com/docker/cli/issues/267#issuecomment-695149...
Oh hey, that's me; I'm still building furniture! True to form my website still needs an update, but the contact form works. Please feel free to reach out if you have a project to discuss :-)
Shipping is always an option, but it's a lot less if you're a half-day's drive from Vermont. Or somewhere I'd like to go on vacation anyway.
Edited to add: I've got to go stretch my legs after spending the day in front of the computer designing, but I'll check back later and try to field any questions that have popped up.