a trail on the ridge of a mountain with green shrubs on both sides

5 lessons I learned on the path from career failure to career fulfillment

(True story of how I became a creative career coach)

Here are 5 lessons I learned as I recovered from career failure, and took action towards a fulfilling career:

Lesson 1: Care for yourself.

Lesson 2: Learn and improve.

Lesson 3: Give your energy to something greater.

Lesson 4: Find your edge of discomfort, and lean into it.

Lesson 5: When encountering problems, follow your curiosity.

When I look back on my career, I’m amazed at how far I have come.

Things started out looking promising.

I excelled in school, and after I graduated from college I got a dream job in a creative field.

Unfortunately, the pay was so low I couldn’t support myself.

So I quickly gave up my dream job and went to work in a gray cubicle.

From then on, I drifted aimlessly from one job to another, burning out then starting over, again and again in a maddening cycle I couldn’t seem to escape.

My personal life was also a mess, with disordered eating and sleeping habits, and chaotic relationships.

I didn’t know how to get a sense of direction or control over my work or life.

I really thought that people were supposed to be miserable at work and that’s just the way it was. (“Life sucks and then you die” kind of thing.)

Well, my life did suck, and I got so sick I nearly died of autoimmune disease, grief and stress.

It was as if all the toxic negativity from my environments, relationships and even the thoughts in my mind were destroying me.

I felt like a failure. I couldn’t seem to handle the most basic aspects of living.

Near death experiences have a way of shocking you so profoundly that you are forced to make radical changes.

closeup photo of white wildflowers and grasses

Lesson 1: Care for yourself.

Burnout and physical illness can be signs that something is misaligned in life.

When I got so sick I couldn’t do anything anymore, I finally began to pay attention to the signals my body had been giving me all along.

I began to practice self care.

I began to trust myself.

I began to disengage from toxic, draining people and situations that didn’t serve me.

I began nourishing myself by doing the things I loved (creating art, and walking in nature).

Being creative and connecting with the earth helped me to slowly heal.

My body grew stronger, my mind cleared, and my spirit grew hopeful again.

a woman wearing a hat, sitting crosslegged on a sofa reading a book, with bookshelves behind her

Lesson 2: Learn and improve.

I started using my creativity in productive and fun ways.

I started blogging to share my art and experiences. I went to school and studied from books to learn creative skills including painting, graphic design and web design.

I started nourishing my mind.

hands holding small red and yellow leaves

Lesson 3: Give your energy to something greater.

I began meeting and spending time with people and beings that I loved and wanted to support. For me, it was artists, trees and the earth.

Becoming an artist activist gave my life meaning, and made me feel that I was contributing to a better world.

I organized an Earth Day art show to benefit Trees for the Future.

I met my friend Junko Suzuki, a musician and anti-nuclear activist from Japan, and got involved in the music and art shows she organized to benefit the victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

An illustrator I knew told me about the Graphic Artists Guild. I went to a meeting of my local chapter. They were just starting to re-form the chapter, and asked me to join the Board.

I was surprised, because they were treating me like I was a competent person, rather than the disastrous failure I believed I was.

I joined the Board and got involved with advocating for artists’ rights, and organizing professional development and networking events for members. I served for one year before I moved away.

Looking back, I see that experience as being instrumental to building my career as well as my self-esteem.

Serving on a Board and being involved with a professional association gave me experience, connections and confidence.

a man walking past a colorful mural that says “COURAGE”

Lesson 4: Find your edge of discomfort, and lean into it.

As a shy, introverted person, teaching was the most uncomfortable thing I could imagine doing, and yet I wanted to try it.

I remember shaking in the parking lot, my palms sweating before my first time teaching an art class.

I am so glad I tried it, because I discovered that I love teaching and I am good at it!

Through doing something uncomfortable, I overcame my fears and grew my courage.

Over time, the nervousness and anxiety turned into excitement and joy!

I even opened a community art school that I operated for 3 years. I became a business owner, contributed to my community, and met wonderful people.

Teaching is now an essential part of who I am and how I interact with the world.

I love being a teacher because I get to encourage and support others as they grow.

silhouette of a person sitting on a hilltop looking at a purple starry sky

Lesson 5: When encountering problems, follow your curiosity.

As an art teacher, I kept encountering the issue of my students being very self-critical, feeling unworthy of doing creative work, and struggling with past creative trauma.

I started exploring ways I could help them, and learned about creativity coaching.

I enrolled in creativity coach training with Dr. Eric Maisel, the founder of the field.

I joined a worldwide community of creativity coaches shaping this new field.

Through my connection with Dr. Maisel, I was invited to contribute chapters to two books about creativity coaching: Inside Creativity Coaching and The Creativity Workbook for Coaches and Creatives.

That’s how I became a published author.

My experience as a creativity coach, teacher and artist advocate led me to Pacific Northwest College of Art, where I worked as a career advisor for emerging artists, designers and writers.

My experiences of failure helped to inform my work, just as much as my experiences of success.

I could help my students to avoid the pitfalls that I myself had fallen into.

And I could encourage my students to take the actions that lead to success.

I found this work of helping creative people to launch their careers to be so rewarding.

I’ve continued to follow my curiosity, and I still keep exploring and growing, and supporting the people and beings I care about.

What’s next for me?

I’ve applied to a master’s program in counseling and expressive arts therapy!

Even at midlife, there’s still so much more for me to learn and do and look forward to.

I didn’t plan my career, but I simply have been open to following my own curiosity, caring for myself, learning and improving, leaning into discomfort, and giving my energy to something greater.

In the process, I’ve grown from failure, discovered my strengths, developed new talents, contributed to communities I care about, and found true fulfillment.

If you would like support in exploring ways to feel more fulfilled in your career and life, please contact me about creativity coaching.