re: #94 ObserverArt

Believe me, I know your position. I started doing freelance design to help cover some of my college costs, rent, etc. to help my parents out with it all.

From that I built a client base that built into a partnership with another guy from college. That lasted for a few years and then I went on my own for a few more. Then a client asked me to be his art department for a small tech advertising agency which turned into 17 years as in house art department for racing teams and racing and auto parts.

Then because that whole industry changed the company was closed and I was out at age 58.

In a city with a good art college along with Ohio State also offering graphics, etc., 58-year-olds are not needed. There are a million 35 and down taking jobs as unpaid or low paid interns.

I’ve managed to struggle my way to this year for full retirement with a plan of doing some small jobs for extra and moving into painting and drawing which I always wanted to do.

Yeah, it all sucks. It was all good for some time and then boom…not what I was expecting at this age.

I turned 51 this week, so the process for me has involved a lot of gaming out scenarios for the next career stage. I’m also in a fortunate position because the youngest of my four kids is 19 and the last one living here. I had basically a 15 year corporate career and a 15 year freelance career (nonprofit communications, publishing, and web design management). Now I need another 15 year arc.

I’m in a good market - greater Seattle. But I’m too far away from the bigger corporate suburbs and even downtown is a haul. I’m interviewing for office management, executive assistant, project manager type roles mostly. But I’m almost certainly going to be earning half of what I was a couple of years ago at best, comparable to where I was twenty years ago. Which is a drag. With that stability though I can likely over sufficient time reignite and reinvent my freelance work in my meager spare time.