This post is all about how I left academia to build a creative life so you can feel encouraged to follow your creativity, trust your intuition, and pursue the dreams that light you up.
Ever since I was a child, becoming a scientist was my dream life. And I did it! I became a scientist, got my dream job in academia, and then one day I left it all behind.
Today I want to share with you a few valuable life lessons I learned on my journey from a science career in academia to embracing a fully creative life. If you’ve ever felt pulled toward a creative dream but weren’t sure whether you should follow it, I hope my story encourages you to listen to that little voice inside you and see where it might lead.
And if you prefer the video version, you can watch the full video about how I left academia to build a creative life using the link below.
Lesson #1: It’s okay to outgrow a dream you once loved and choose a new path
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been very curious about our world. I wanted to know how things worked and uncover the secrets of the universe. I’ve always loved learning, and from the moment we started studying physics in school, I fell in love with science.
So obviously, with all that curiosity and desire to learn everything, I chose to become a scientist.
It wasn’t an easy path. I was studying all the time, working really hard, and I spent many nights in the lab. But all that hard work was absolutely worth it. I had the chance to work on some really exciting projects. Some of the most fun projects involved doing scientific research on ancient mummies and bones, and even on art forgeries.
Eventually, all that hard work paid off. I got my dream job, a faculty position at New York University Abu Dhabi, and it felt like I had finally achieved everything I’d been working for.
But then, over the years, things started to change.
I slowly started realizing that an academic life wasn’t actually the life I wanted for myself. And I certainly didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in academia. But I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted instead.
And then I took a trip to Rapa Nui. That trip inspired me to start writing a novel. And through writing, I discovered a whole new life—one filled with imagination, creativity, and endless possibilities.
The more I wrote, the more I fell in love with the creative process. Eventually, I realized that I didn’t want creativity to be something I squeezed into thirty minutes before work. I wanted it to become a much bigger part of my life. I wanted to build a creative life.
So the lesson here is that sometimes we outgrow even the dreams we once loved deeply.
That doesn’t mean those dreams were mistakes. They served their purpose. They made you happy, helped you grow, taught you valuable lessons, introduced you to wonderful people, and shaped you into the person you are today.
But sometimes a dream can only take you so far. And when the time is right, it’s okay to let go of an old dream so you can make room for a new one.
Lesson #2: It’s okay to pursue a dream that doesn’t look like a “safe” career choice
I don’t regret my time in academia at all.
I loved leading my own research group, working on whatever fun projects I was most interested in, and collaborating with other scientists who were just as excited about solving interesting problems.
Not only was the research part a lot of fun, but I also really loved working in such an international environment. I loved traveling all over the world for my work, teaching courses I was excited about, and having the most amazing students who were eager to learn.
But there were also parts of the academic life that I didn’t enjoy.
I’m talking here about the administrative work and sitting in lots of meetings. These are all completely normal parts of being a professor, but they just didn’t go well with my personality. And the more time passed, and the more administrative work I had to do, the more I realized I definitely don’t want to spend my entire life in academia.
I went from not being able to imagine any life outside academia to absolutely dreading the thought of that being my life until old age.
Luckily, by that point, I had already found my passion for writing and creativity.
And that made it a lot easier to leave academia because I didn’t just give up and quit. I quit to pursue a new dream, a new path I was excited about.
Even so, leaving academia behind was still full of fear and guilt.
I worried about throwing away so many years of hard work. I worried about leaving behind a career that many people considered successful. And I worried about choosing a path that society definitely doesn’t consider the safest career option.
But I knew I had to try. If you never try, you’ll never know what might have been possible. Your creative life may be waiting for you just outside your comfort zone.
Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone should quit their job tomorrow and hope everything magically works out. Life is more complicated than that. But I am saying that if a creative dream keeps calling to you, don’t automatically dismiss it.
Maybe you pursue it alongside your current job. Maybe you take small steps. Maybe you spend years preparing before making a big change.
A creative life doesn’t have to begin with a giant leap. Sometimes it begins with one small, brave step. Keep taking those small steps, and don’t give up on your dream.
Lesson #3: Follow your intuition — A creative life often begins in unexpected ways
Creativity entered my life very quietly.
In fact, I never even thought of writing a book. When someone first suggested I should write a non-fiction book related to my research, my first thought was:
“Me? Write a book? I’ve never even thought I could write a book.”
But then I got really excited about the idea of writing a book. So, thank you, Vanessa! Thank you for encouraging me to write a book and unknowingly setting me on a path that would change my life.
As I started thinking about what I could write, I took a trip to Rapa Nui, and suddenly a completely different idea appeared—a sci-fi novel set on the island. The island, with its magnificent moai statues and its fascinating history (especially the story of the Birdman competition) felt like a treasure trove of story ideas waiting to be discovered.
And just like that, my plan to write a non-fiction book turned into a fiction book.
So I slowly started writing my novel. At the time, I was still working a more-than-full-time job, so I only wrote for about thirty minutes in the mornings and on weekends. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but little by little, the words added up.
Eventually, I typed two of the most exciting words a writer can ever type:
“The End.”
I had actually written an entire novel.
RELATED POST: How to Write a Book While Working a Full-Time Job
What’s interesting is that I wasn’t focused on publishing a book or changing my career. I was simply doing something that brought me joy. Writing helped me relax, recharge, and reconnect with my creativity.
And that small creative habit changed the direction of my life.
It gave me the courage to leave academia to pursue a fully creative life. It inspired me to start the Happy Write Hub blog and YouTube channel, where I now get to create inspiring content for writers and support you on your own creative journey.
And my creative journey didn’t stop there. Along the way, it inspired me to write a sweet romance novel and eventually choose sweet romance as my writing path, even though that’s not at all what I imagined when I first left academia.
What started as thirty minutes of writing in the morning slowly grew into a completely new life, one filled with creativity, imagination, and the opportunity to help other writers pursue their dreams too.
The lesson I learned here was to follow my passion and my intuition.
When you get quiet and really listen to your intuition, it guides you exactly where you need to be. It may not reveal the entire path, but it will show your the next step.
For me, it led me from science to writing sci-fi, from writing sci-fi to Happy Writer Hub and writing sweet romance stories, and eventually to a creative life that feels deeply aligned with who I am today.
And this is where I need to be right now.
I don’t know where this path will lead in the future, or how my dreams and life will change along the way, but I’m excited to find out.
So if there’s something calling to you—a dream, a creative project, or even just a tiny spark of curiosity—don’t ignore it. Follow your intuition and see where it takes you. You never know how much it might change your life.
Lesson #4: Putting fears aside is scary, but it’s worth it
Leaving academia and choosing a creative life came with plenty of fears.
First, it was the fear of leaving stability and the familiar to venture into the unknown. And this was a huge one, especially since I’m someone who loves stability and needs to feel safe.
Then there was the fear of judgement. What would people think when I walked away from a career I had spent so many years working toward?
Then came the fear of disappointing people—disappointing my program head, my dean, my colleagues, and especially my parents. My parents had always been there for me and supported me through the long and challenging journey of becoming a professor, and now I was choosing to walk away from it.
And then there was the fear of starting over, doing something completely new, leaving my old identity behind, and discovering who I really am outside of the academic bubble where I had spent most of my life.
It was such a scary step, but I’m so happy I took it. I’m so happy I gathered the courage to leave and start on this new path.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that this journey wouldn’t just lead me to a creative life. It would also become a journey of self-discovery. It helped me learn more about who I am, what truly matters to me, and what kind of life I want to build for myself.
Of course, it’s still scary sometimes. I still don’t know exactly how things will turn out, and I don’t have the same sense of certainty and security I once had. But despite all that, I’m truly grateful to be on this path.
The lesson I learned is that it’s okay to allow yourself to want something new and choose a different direction.
Yes, it’s scary. Change almost always is.
But every time you choose courage over fear, every time you step into the unknown, you grow into a new version of yourself. You discover strengths you never knew you had, and possibilities you never would have found if you had stayed where it felt safe.
So no matter how scary it feels to move past your fears, don’t let them make your decisions for you. The things that help us grow the most are often the ones that scare us the most. And that’s exactly why they’re worth pursuing.
Lesson #5: Build a life that’s aligned with who you are
Some people may think that a creative life means working less or avoiding hard work altogether.
But it really doesn’t. I work just as hard now as I did in academia.
The work is very different, but it still requires a lot of hard work, discipline, perseverance, and a willingness to keep learning and keep improving. I’m constantly learning about writing, publishing, blogging, YouTube, entrepreneurship, marketing, and business.
There’s always something new to learn. Luckily, I love learning, so that’s not a problem for me. And neither is the hard work. Hard work helped me become a scientist. And now it’s helping me build this new chapter of my life.
So no, I’m not escaping work, or working less. I’m simply working towards building a life that’s deeply aligned with who I am today.
We all change over time. We grow. We evolve. We discover new passions.
It’s important to choose work that’s aligned with who you are and who you’re becoming. That’s how you continue to grow, evolve, and make your greatest contribution to the world.
When you’re miserable doing work that’s not aligned with you, it’s difficult to live with joy and inspire the people around you. But when you’re doing something you love, your joy shines through. You bring more light into the world, and you inspire others to begin their own journey of self-discovery and pursue their dreams.
And that’s exactly what I hope you’ll do.
Lesson #6: What I learned in the process of embracing a creative life
I learned that it’s okay if your dreams change over time. I learned that it’s okay to pivot, follow new dreams, and see where those dreams lead you.
I also learned that it’s important to move past fear and do things that feel scary. That’s how we grow. If we stay in our safe corner, we may find comfort and security, but we also risk reaching the end of our lives wondering, “What if?”
And perhaps the most important lesson I learned is to follow your intuition. Follow what feels right deep down in your heart, even when you can’t fully explain it.
Will things always work out exactly the way we want them to? Probably not. Life has a funny way of surprising us and taking us on a path that gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. Just like a well-crafted story.
But I’ve found that things do work out when you follow your intuition. Sometimes they work out exactly as you hoped. Other times they work out in a completely different way, helping you learn something important or guiding you toward a new chapter you never expected. Either way, they move you forward.
So be true to yourself. Don’t hide your light. Don’t even dim it for anyone. Let it shine as brightly as it can and allow that spark inside you to be your guiding light.
Keep following your dreams, wherever they may lead.
This post was all about how I left academia to build a creative life. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy this post:
How to Write a Book While Working a Full-Time Job
Now it’s your turn. Is there a dream you’ve been putting off or a new path you’ve been thinking about exploring? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about your own journey.
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