Bxdty

Lately it's become much harder for people in my generation who take economic risks. Perhaps your response will help pave the road for me and others who read this. Thank you so much for your help.

I have been a junior C++ developer for a year since graduating in engineering.

I am also pursuing my creative dreams on the side. However, I feel like my current lifestyle is not sustainable. I think there are a lot of other people in my situation, but I haven't seen source of information online for this.

My job and commute take up 50 hours a week that I can't devote to creative work. I try to dedicate the rest of my time to my endeavors. However, whenever I have any other responsibilities(to family, friends, health, maintenance), my time gets immediately drained. I have no free time at all, which can feel demoralizing.

As an artist, it is my ultimate goal to create a work that lives up to my vision. I don't have an arts education, but I am doing multiple activities that allow me to get the equivalent of an arts grad degree. I am living and working in NYC, which provides me with these opportunities.

I desperately need more time to get better at my craft. I am doing everything I can to save time but there is so much to learn and practice. I would be so happy to sacrifice half of my salary in exchange for half my time back, but I am not sure how to approach this.

There are several options to accomplish this.

1. Find a part time software job.
   
   Pros: Earning a comfortable living while having significantly more time to my pursuits.
   
   Cons: No benefits


2. Becoming a freelancer
   
   Pros: I could choose how much I work
   
   Cons: I lack proper experience, Freelance work is time consuming/difficult


3. Find a 30 hour software job
   
   Pros: I keep benefits, Comfortable living, More time to do what I love
   
   Cons: I don't know of any employer offering something like this.


4. Find a remote job.
   
   Pros: Cuts down on commute time, more flexibility to exercise
   
   Cons: These jobs are generally not offered to junior programmers, Can take up more time than regular jobs


5. Save money and quit my job for X years
   
   Pros: I would be able to start a career as an artist
   
   Cons: Incredibly risky, I would need to keep tech skills current, No benefits/savings, Student budget


6. Ask my current manager if I could work fewer hours at my current job
   
   Pros: More free time, I work at a relatively good job
   
   Cons: Still have to commute, May lose benefits, Unconventional situation--asking might be problematic, Not so passionate about the product

Other factors:

- I am unwilling to move out of NYC or closer to my current job

- I can't depend on anyone else financially.

- I want to stay at my current job for at least another year, so I get the most out of it. I have time.

- I want to avoid damaging my software career.

I've always been an overachiever. I learn fast, and I have a competitive resume for a C++ junior programmer. However, it would take a long time to gain real competence as a developer. I don't have loads of spare time to enhance my skills outside of work. Even if I did, I wouldn't know where to start. In the meantime, I feel stuck.

I've searched the internet, but there doesn't seem to be anything on this particular situation, which is why I am posting here. So here is what I am looking for from the responses:

• Which of the above(numbered) options is most attainable for a junior developer, and with what strategy?


• Any suggestions as to what course of action I could pursue to figure this out.


• What resources are there that could help me?


• Does anyone with experience in transitioning into a creative career from software have personal experience to share on how you did it?


• From a company's perspective, how disadvantageous would it be to me to disclose my passions as a reason for my desire for a a flexible schedule? This is a significant part of me, and I would love to work at a place where I can be open about my artistic pursuits.