Taking the leap.

I have decided to take the plunge and quit my full time job. This is something I have contemplated for some time now, and it is a decision which I am not taking lightly. I would be a liar if I said I wasn't scared shitless by the prospect of failure, however I figure that if I don't make this move, then I have already failed. There is more to life than money, and working full time for someone else only ensures that I will never get ahead. My heart tells me that this is the right decision, and I cannot afford to continue squandering my time and energy on endeavors which leave me completely devoid of any sense of fulfillment.

There will be a number of people who think that I am crazy, and they will point to the economy and say, "we're in this big bad recession and you should be thankful that you even have a job!" I don't deny that things are bad out there, however, the current state of the economy is what prompted me to make this decision. I realized that I am only one arbitrary spreadsheet away from financial ruin, and despite how safe and secure my job appears to be, the fact that I earn a salary means that I am expendable. With that in mind, I would be a fool to continue down my current path without developing some sort of exit strategy. This is an opportunity for me to regain control and start living the life I want to live.

I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that I am unappreciative about my job. My bosses are good people, and my co-workers are great. There are many things that I like about my job, and I am very comfortable in my position. This job has helped me settle in and establish myself in Chicago, and a large portion of my network has come from contacts that I have made working here. I do not regret the time I have put in, and I have had a lot of fun working here. With all of that said, this job was always meant to be a stepping a stone, and the time has now come to move on.

My goal is to be a professional artist, and to me that requires a full time commitment to painting in my studio. If I didn't think I could do this I would have quit a long time ago. If it weren't such a challenge would I have ever embarked on it? I have spent my entire life preparing for this moment, and all I can do now is let go and trust that things will work. There is this zen saying which I've always tried to live by: "Leap and the net will appear."