Tatjana, I love the sound of your stories. They are very imaginative. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Slovene, but if ever you decide to translate them into English, I would be delighted to help you to express them, to make them great in English. It would be small recompense for all your efforts in sharing and promoting my books.
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I see it’s been several days since anyone added to this post, but thought I’d throw in my two cents. I think if we ever met @CatrinLliarJones we’d get on well with each other, I have very similar interests. I’m also at a bit of a cross roads, currently I’m on the dole, and have been for some time, but I’m using this time, despite having huge financial stress to shift into what I feel is my life purpose. I’m an artist, a painter, but I’m single without kids, so it’s easier I guess for me to just do as I like, but I feel very strongly that we should all pursue our passions, and try not to emphasise money…like the old saying ‘do what you love, and the money will follow’
I have also been on a of a journey of self-discovery…I also was bullied in school and struggled a great deal. I went to College originally with a major in music but ended up changing to art, as that was about all I felt I could do properly and it came easy for me. I ended up dropping out, I was too far behind in all my other subjects and all my friends were graduating so I felt I needed to leave. I was 22 then and I pretty much quite painting…instead I did all sorts of crazy things, and some travelling. I went back to school for graphic design and moved to Canada but I also dropped out of that…
Anyway not to go into my whole life story, about six and a half years ago I moved here to Australia (I’m originally from the states) …I was working as a stable hand, but after several injuries and a few broken bones, I knew I had had enough… so a little over a year ago after being on workers comp, again, this time for a broken finger, I quite my job and went on holiday to the UK, when I came back I had nothing, so I ended up on the dole, but I felt so strongly that this was finally my time to allow myself to accept that I’m an artist, and I’ll never be happy unless I’m creating. So here I am at 39 years old and I’ve finally come back to art, which I knew all this time deep down was my calling…
I always asked myself, if I were to die tomorrow, what would be my biggest regret…for me it was not sharing my paintings and the stories behind them with the world. I don’t know if this kind of question helps… but anyway thanks for everyone who has shared, I love reading everyone’s stories on here, I also have a great curiosity for the journeys of others, I think it helps tremendously. 
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That’s a fascinating and brave story, Emilie - thank you so much for sharing it with us, and I hope you find fulfilment and joy with your art - do let us know how it goes…
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Late to this, and shy about sharing but I do want to say that being a mum is way too under-rated. You are giving your children so much as a creative, fun-loving person and although it doesn’t pay the bills it does give two people a huge head start in learning to live a happy, creative, love-giving life.
I had to give up a teaching job I loved due to ill health. Also, I was a very energetic person and couldn’t be that anymore. It’s been difficult, as unlike many people here I am not naturally creative and finding ‘passive’ alternatives to the life I had was not easy.
Creative-wise, it seems it is a career where networking is very important and can lead to unexpected futures. I took up writing (I’m mediocre at it, but it’s the most creative I can be!). From a long, winding road of connections I got the chance to make a couple of short films and, if I’d had the energy/ drive could have done more. These came out of meeting people at various writing courses and doing particularly well with a project with people I’d never met before. I’ve also developed a couple of art projects for people with autism, again by knowing people who know more than me about how to make it happen. Having these opportunities could have set me on a new career path, but I’m not in a position to want/need/be able to peruse that now. But they have made life interesting…
If you can get in the loop by going on courses, meeting like-minded people, sharing your talents then I reckon, having all that talent, these (unpaid) activities might just lead you to somewhere you don’t even know you want to go!
And I know it’s not easy, and it can feel endless, but enjoy this time with the kids - it really does pass quicker than a blink!
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Yes, this, a thousand times this…
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I have only just read this. Its made me cry. Its exactly in teaching whats happening to me.
Believe in yourself. You have a lovely husband and children. I’ve met you all. It was a pleasure.
Success is about you. You and aran have brought pleasure to many.
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This is a fascinating topic.
For years i went from dead-end job to dead end job, largely for two reasons. One i was trying to do what people expected me to do (bad reason) and chronic anxiety (undiagnosed).
The answer was do what you want to do. which for me was biological science. However goign through A B.Sc and an M.Phil, left me with no savings at all and things were becoming a struggle.
I still yearn to get back into science, even if the pays not great (I’m still a few years off the decent wages and that is getting more competitive every year). so in the meantime, I’m finally doing a ‘proper job’ to hopefully begin to have some savings again his year, and plan doing something that will satisfy me, rather than pay the rent. Currently i work in space planning (not that exciting, it’s deciding of layout of shops and deciding what to oput on shelves):
Do you work from home or away from home?
Away, in Cardiff, a 15 minute drive in the mornings, which is 45 minutes in the evening (traffic). almost everything is computer based, so some days I work from home. I could probably work most days at home if I had child care responsibilities.
Are you full or part time?
Full time
Have you been in the same career since leaving school/college/university Or have you changed jobs a lot??
Certainly not, some teaching, some health care, Check-out boy in a supermarket, bar work , call centres. Moving town far more often than i’d like, never settling, which has curtailed my social life, ability to find a partner a lot.
Does or has illness or disability ever affected your work/career?
Yes, anxiety
Have you ever had dramatic career changes?
All the time.
How do you juggle work and family life?
By not having a family. Potentially I could, but i would need to build up savings to make it possible.
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Wow!!!
I am absolutely overwhelmed by the responses to this thread. Diolch yn fawr iawn to you all for opening up and taking the time to contribute. I really appreciate your honesty and willingness to share.
I’ve found this thread not only really interesting to read, but also very inspiring. It constantly surprises me how much some of us have in common and how very different many of us are as well. What a set of interesting journeys we’ve all had. It makes me feel that any of us can do anything if we set our hearts and minds to it.
My aim is to answer as many individual replies as I can, as I started to do some time ago. But alas, time seems to run away with me and I’m finding it difficult to catch up! But I will get there.
One thing that always surprises me about life, is how very fast it moves, how volatile it is and how quickly things change.
Since I started this thread and opened up about my dilemma, I seem to have gotten myself a kind of a job, but quite by accident. Well almost by accident.
The ‘job’ in question has something to do with writing and it’s something I’m feeling very excited about. It should give me focus, food for thought, direction and allow me to take a bite of the apple to see if I like the taste. But that’s all I can say for now.
I hope to be able to come back to you very soon with more detail. But in the meantime I’m going to have to be highly secretive… 
Thank you all again and I promise I shall keep trying to find time to answer all these really wonderful individual posts as soon as I can. Diolch!!!
XXXXXXXX
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I think this is how all the best things happen. I’m also in the changing-direction mode at the moment (mid-life crisis?), and it’s scary. But the alternative is doing nothing, and that wasn’t tenable.
Keeping everything crossed that this is the path you were looking for, Catrin. Good luck!
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Well done you! Can’t wait to hear what it is you will be doing . It’s a bit mean of you to tease us with all this clock and dagger stuff (but that’s what makes you a successful writer, I’m sure, so all power to your elbow 
)
So busy trying to figure out what it might be I simply can’t concentrate on my SSi lessons.
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Time reveals it all so I’ll wait patiently and aim all my good energies toward your possibilities/dreams/wishes to come true. If anybody deserves something really really good to happen then that’s you @CatrinLliarJones . (ahd I honestly mean it).
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I have worked as a male carer for 30 years I am dyslexic and no education self taught everything I know … I find working in care is natural to me and I enjoy it … when I started it was a very female environment still is but not as much … I would love to do a new career … but don’t know anything else … working as a male carer has taught me how life is so short and grab every opportunity when it comes
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You are doing a difficult and essential job that most of us would run a mile from! Da iawn ti! I admire you!
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Diolch! XXX
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Hi Cathrin, I am Italian but live in North Wales were with Richard my partner have tourist business ( www.guestinourhouse.co.uk) . I started learning Welsh after an idea come to my mind for a North Wales saga a bit of sort of “Outlander” Wales style. I need an Author for my 4 characters. I have no time, nor I am any good at writing. Beside I am now only lesson 10 of the first level of the course and we need a good knowledge of the language and the history to write it. I was wondering if you are interested in writing a Saga and wish to have a chat with me about it. Paola
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Enjoying reading about people in this thread! I’ve been using SSIW for a while but only started reading the forum in the last few days.
I am an academic (a philosophy lecturer) and I work mostly at home or from another location that isn’t my place of employment - generally I only go into my place of employment when I’m teaching or for meetings. It’s a 1.5 hour drive away. I work full time and haven’t been in the same job since I left school. Since you asked, here is the full story:
I went straight to university after leaving school, then did degree after degree until I had a PhD, planning on becoming an academic. I did the usual sorts of jobs to support myself through that - waitressing, cleaning, office skivvying, and later on a bit of teaching and freelance editing work. By the time I finished my PhD, though, I was so fed up of studying and so full of self-doubt that I changed tack and went to work in IT. It was truly horrible - I met lovely people there, but the work itself was not my cup of tea at all, and I was completely rubbish at it. I stayed for 3.5 years, and in my spare time I worked on my academic CV (by writing and trying to publish articles in academic journals - that took a while) and also started writing novels (have written 3 and a bit since then, but yet to hit the big time). I left when I was offered a voluntary redundancy and spent 9 months out of work. Eventually I got a 3-year postdoc (i.e. a temporary academic post). Towards the end of that, I became pregnant. I had 2 children in a bit less than 2 years. I lost interest in work and planned just to be a full time mum indefinitely, but I was in an abusive relationship which led to us living on a council estate, claiming all possible benefits, and using all my spare time to update my academic CV so I could return to work. Eventually that happened. I now have a permanent academic job, a book contract, and no abusive partner 
That means I’m raising my kids with no financial or practical help from anyone, except the odd bit of babysitting. I juggle work and family life by having no hobbies or social life, unfortunately - or rather, my social life is comprised of faffing about on social media and going out for drinks/dinner when it’s part of a work event.
Incidentally, this story is a great advertisement for the welfare state. Had I not been able to live in a council flat on benefits when I was at my lowest, I would no doubt have gone ‘under’ with the children. But with that support I’m working and paying more in tax than the state ever paid me in benefits 
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Da iawn ti!
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I have a close friend who’s done this with her two kids - with brilliant courage and determination - and I don’t think there are any greater people in our society than mothers who bring up children on their own. Thank you for being a genuine hero. 
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It sounds from your Bio that the only thing holding you back is confidence. You obviously have a creative bent and are a people person. You dont need to work in a traditional school or shell out on a property to teach. There are lots of distance teaching options at the moment and this means locations aren’t crucial now. I was taking one-to-one Italian lessons a few times and paid a small fortune for the tutors. There are some remote learning websites out there where you can state your rate and the hours you’re prepared to work. This could be an option. I’m sure there are others out there like me…I’d happily pay for extra Welsh tuition because my work means I cant make it at the times most SSiW sessions run. I’m sure there could be others out there in the same situation. That would leave you to find the time for teulu, roc a rôl a celf.
Btw, I left school at 17 and started work as a Cartographer, hated it and became a telephone engineer for 8 yrs. Then I retrained and jumped onto the IT bandwagon where I am now. I had a bit of a breakdown about 10 yrs ago, walked away from computer software and retrained as a plumber. While training I worked in a supermarket warehouse and a few cafés and also qualified as a Barista. I’ve worked for about 3 years as a plumber too (last year this got me out of a fix when my it contract ended during lock down) . I’ve even done a stint as a courier rider. I don’t know many people who have had a career job from when they started work and I’d encourage anyone to explore the available opportunities the new ways of working give us. With all your life experience I’m sure you could find your niche somewhere. It might mean you just need to promote yourself rather than wait for an employer to find you.