Courtesy of Katie McGowan
- Katie McGowan left her tech job to pursue a full-time art career in April.She used contract work to fund her art business and validate market demand.Her tech skills helped automate processes, boosting her art business's growth.
I began my corporate career in data and later transitioned into product management in tech.
Running my own creative business was a goal I always kept in the background — something I hoped for, but didn't always believe was realistic. Over the last year, I made a few shifts that helped me grow a personal passion into a sustainable venture.
In April, after eight years of working in the corporate world, I left my £550, or around $750, a day, product management contract to become a full-time artist.
Now, I'm working from my new studio, running a profitable creative business, and finally spending more of my time doing what started this all — painting.
Funding my creative business through contract work
After taking a voluntary redundancy, leaving full-time employment in the summer of 2024, and taking a few months to travel, I transitioned to contract work for a retail company.
I only had to give four weeks of notice. That freedom allowed me to build my creative business on the side, validate demand, and leave on my own terms when the time was right.
Outside my contract work, I painted and gradually started shaping the operational side into something more structured. I had always loved painting, but I reconnected with it after taking an art course in London shortly after graduating from university, and it continued as a personal hobby.
Investing in myself
In February, I decided to fund and run my own solo exhibition. It was a risk, both financially and creatively. I'd never done anything like it before, but I felt it was the right time to give my art the attention it deserved.
That exhibition was a turning point for me — I sold four paintings in one month. It gave me the traction I needed, but more significantly, it gave me the confidence to fully commit to this career.
Within 10 weeks of the exhibition, I made the transition to working as a full-time artist.
Scaling for growth
In April, I made over £16,000 in revenue from my art business, a mix of original works and a large proportion of print sales.
I migrated my website to Shopify in 2024 and integrated a print-on-demand partner, allowing me to automate print orders from start to finish. This meant higher fees and a new learning curve in the short term, but ultimately, it freed up my time and allowed me to streamline my manual processes.
Today, print sales contribute significantly to my income and continue to generate passive revenue, even when I'm offline. The rest of my income comes from original commissions.
A/B testing for creatives
I discovered Instagram's 'trial Reels' feature, which lets creators test new content before sharing it. This felt like A/B testing, which I had done for years in product management.
I experimented with different content, adjusted visuals, and monitored performance. I used the same mindset I had as a product manager, but now I was using those same tools to grow my creative audience.
It took some time to learn what worked, but once I found my rhythm, everything began to scale. In the past 30 days, my Instagram content has amassed 5.3M views.
I even had Meta reach out to arrange a call because I was engaging so consistently on the platform. Before long, I had to close the sign-up list for commissions and put a pause on my waitlist.
When I knew it was time to quit
More important to me than a revenue number was the consistency — this wasn't a side hustle anymore. I had systems in place, enough traction to keep growing, and clarity about my goals.
As I'm based in the UK, health insurance wasn't a concern for me, and I've continued with my previous monthly savings and investment goals toward home ownership.
What life looks like now
May was my first full month as a full-time artist. I moved into a new studio and finally have space to work at the scale and pace I've always wanted.
My days are still structured, but the work is completely different from my past career, and most excitingly I'm building something that's fully mine.
Everything I learned in tech has come with me. I run my art business the same way I operated in tech: test often, iterate fast, automate what you can, and focus on delivering value for customers. But now I feel like I've come full circle and finally get to devote more time to painting — the reason I started this in the first place.
What I've learned
My career pivot has taught me many things.
- Creativity doesn't have to be chaotic. Even when my business was small, I treated it like a business — investing in systems, testing ideas, and using data to grow.Leverage existing skills. My tech background helped me automate processes, test ideas, and assess new opportunities.Create your own opportunities. Rather than waiting for permission, I self-funded a solo exhibition that built momentum and solidified my belief in what I was doing.Change doesn't require dissatisfaction. I enjoyed my career in tech but wanted more autonomy and a fresh challenge.I didn't wait for perfect timing. I waited until I had real traction and then made a clear, considered exit.
The transition from a corporate career to creative entrepreneurship doesn't happen overnight
It takes time to learn, adjust, and make the right moves at the right time.
In September, I'm going to Florence to study art, and I'm also planning my next exhibition in London.
This summer, my goal is to continue building on the growing demand for my work by launching limited edition print drops — and ideally selling them out — and beginning to sell my original pieces for £10,000 and above.
I'm grateful for my previous career and the invaluable skills it provided — the skills I continue to use in running my creative business today.
Do you have a story to share about turning a side hustle into a full-time gig? Contact this editor at lhaas@businessinsider.com.
