How many of us have found ourselves in careers and jobs that are safe and comfortable, but they don’t make us happy?

You hear about doing work you love and wish you did do a job you love. But you don’t.

We’ve all been there at some point.

Most of us continue to stay in the safe and comfortable option instead of stepping out on our own and pursuing our passion.

But not Nicole Cicak.

This Chicago-area based illustrator made the decision in her late 20’s to leave her corporate graphic design job to pursue her interest in art.

It wasn’t an easy path, but she knew art needed to be a larger part of her life.

She was willing to put in time and energy to make it happen.

Now, Nicole is not only an incredible illustrator who’s worked with brands like Harper Collins and Sharpie, but she also owns an Etsy store selling her prints. 

Nicole’s story will inspire you to leave the comfortable option behind and embrace the adventure of pursuing your passion.

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Nicole had a nice job working as a corporate graphic designer. But she started to realize she was dedicating so much time to someone else’s dream and not her own.

She couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she started putting all that time and energy into her own vision and work.

“I dreamt of quitting for almost a year. Finally, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was comfortable at my job and that scared me the most. I realized if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to spend the rest of my life in an office working on things I wasn’t passionate about,” Nicole explained.

As Nicole’s 20’s started coming to an end, she began to feel the weight of doing the same thing every day because it was safe.

“Nearing the end of a decade has a way of making you review your life. This is true for me now as I’m in my late thirties. It makes you feel that if you keep doing what you’re doing, your life is going to stay the same forever. The older you get, the harder change becomes because we get comfortable. I think I was painfully aware of this at the time and I still am.”

She knew she needed to make a change.

Nicole decided to branch out on her own and become a freelance graphic designer.

With more control over her time now, Nicole was able to start focusing on following her interest in art.

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It started as a hobby. When she had little windows of time she would draw.

The more she drew the more she started to understand that illustrating was her passion, and not graphic design.

Not only was she able to be creative but illustrating also got her away from the computer and from customers, something her introverted-self loved.

Ready to make a bigger commitment to her art, Nicole announced she was going to start posting her work daily to Instagram even though she hadn’t created art in 10 years.

“Once I announced I was going to share daily doodles, there was no going back for me. I made a promise to others, and I was going to keep it. At that point, the thought of never making art again scared me more than posting my art online.”

It was a scary and vulnerable experience, but Nicole found others to be more encouraging and supportive than she thought they’d be.

Even when she’d beat herself up for her work not being as good as she wanted it to be, the positive comments from others helped to keep her going.

Also, her love for creating and the fear of losing it motivated her to continue posting.

Posting on Instagram kept her accountable, but it never stole all her focus. Nicole strived to make her work the priority and only use Instagram as a tool.

“I’m simply there to share my work and connect with other artists. I try to post, look at a few creative accounts, and then log off quickly and get back to work.”

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By connecting with other artists on Instagram and through her blog, Nicole has been able to grow her creative community; something that without social media would have been difficult in her smaller town.

She was enjoying illustrating so much she decided to open her own Etsy store, On Lane Avenue in 2015. She now has over 8,000 sales and almost 2,000 5-star reviews. By following her interest she was able to create her own business from it.

But it wasn’t always easy. Starting your own Etsy store is a lot of work and it can take time before you start to see sales.

Nicole didn’t give up though. She loved her work and even if no one was buying at the moment, she still enjoyed having her own Etsy store.

“I really enjoyed making my own art prints and adding them to my store. I think that’s why it’s important to pursue things we’re passionate about. Usually, you have to stick around longer than anyone else would to find success at something. If you enjoy doing it, you’re more likely to stick with it.”

Not only was having her own Etsy store not easy, but also the journey to becoming an illustrator was not exactly a cake walk.

*If you want to gain more confidence to achieve your goals in just one week, subscribe to my newsletter to receive your FREE copy of the 7-Day Confidence Building Workbook*

As a self-taught illustrator without any formal credentials, Nicole has dealt with her fair share of self-doubt. But she doesn’t let this keep her from her work.

It can be hard to show up for her art on days when she’s filled with doubt, so she’s came up with her own system that works.

She rewards herself for showing up with either a podcast she loves or her favorite drink. And once she’s focused on her work, those doubtful voices started to dissipate.

Making a list of everything she’s accomplished also gets her out of a negative mindset. That and getting back to the work she loves.

She doesn’t believe in the “born talent” concept. Instead, Nicole believes in practicing.

“I think we are simply born with an interest in things, and that’s what makes us want to spend time on pursuits and develop talents. Every time someone says I’m so talented, I counter with ‘well, I practice A LOT’ because I want people to know that talent doesn’t exist.”

She also believes in the power of mastering a craft and the pursuit of a passion.

“Getting good at art has not only given me something to work towards, but it’s given me confidence that I can learn any skill and get quite good at it if I put in the time. It’s amazing the capacity humans have to learn if they simply make time.”

Nicole is proof that being a successful self-taught illustrator is possible when you practice, practice, practice.

Nicole got to where she is because she made a commitment, she practiced, and she believed in the power of following her interests. She dedicated time and energy to improving her skills.

Her advice to other self-taught artists is to practice. Start with quantity over quality.

“Establish an art habit that allows you to make as many things as you can as often as you can. Don’t think about how good they are. Do that, and you will get good really fast. You already have all the tools you need. As you make more work, you will uncover your personal style by discovering your preferences and new techniques. Your style is there right now. You just need to keep making work to uncover it.”

Read More: 33 Journal Prompts to Increase Your Self-Confidence

As much as Nicole loves her work, she knows there needs to be a balance. You can’t create all the time, or you’ll end up not enjoying it.

Instead, Nicole uses a simple daily goalsetting system.

“I have a simple practice I do daily where I list 3 professional and 3 personal things I want to accomplish in a day. And usually I have 1-2 professional and personal goals to focus on for the year. My daily task list usually helps me tackle those bigger goals. This practice keeps me productive but not in a way that’s overwhelming. The key is to keep this daily task list flexible. If I don’t accomplish everything in one day, I just roll it over to the next day.”

Nicole has accomplished so much in her illustrating career that didn’t begin until her late 20’s.

And it all started with following her interest and posting daily drawings on Instagram. That one small action changed her life.

“You cannot change the past, but you can change the future with the smallest action today. Don’t wait for a sign, or the new year, or for inspiration to strike. If you have a dream that’s been living inside your head for the longest time, I challenge you to bring it to reality with one tiny action today – whether it’s signing up for that class or buying those paintbrushes. Don’t underestimate the power of the tiniest action. One day I decided to doodle something and post it online. That tiny action has gotten me further than I ever could have imagined.”

There’s no time like the present to change the trajectory of your life by finding what you’re interested in and pursuing it.

*If you want to gain more confidence to achieve your goals in just one week, subscribe to my newsletter to receive your FREE copy of the 7-Day Confidence Building Workbook*

It will more than likely be a difficult road, but Nicole is proof that it’s possible if you consistently show up.

“There’s a misconception that when we’re fulfilling our dreams, everything should just click. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of the worthwhile pursuits in my life have felt extremely difficult, especially in the beginning. When you show up day after day for years, you’ll get a lucky break every once in a while. It will finally feel like some things are working in your favor. My secret power is that I just don’t give up. Perseverance is not inherited. It’s learned every time you keep a promise to yourself. And perseverance builds momentum. At the beginning, pursuing your dream will feel like pushing a boulder uphill. And then every day it gets a little easier. You’ll get stronger and then, one day, you’ll realize the boulder is rolling downhill by itself. Your dream will have taken on a life of its own, but you’ll barely have noticed because you’ve been too busy doing the work.”

If you were inspired by Nicole’s amazing story (and seriously, how could you not be?) check out her blog and her post What It’s Like to Be 10 Years Into My Art Journey.

And start following your interests. Your gift may be exactly what someone else needs.

“I don’t believe in randomness. If you have an unfulfilled dream, you need to pursue it for the world just as much as for yourself. Don’t keep your gifts from us!”

1. Step away from the comfortable and safe option if it’s not what you really want. Nicole knew her corporate graphic design job was not her dream, so she made a change in her life.

2. Have the courage to take control of your life and time. When Nicole became a freelance graphic designer she had more control over her time, allowing her to spend more time doing what she loved, drawing.

3. Follow Your Interests. Nicole wanted art to be a bigger part of her life. It started as a hobby that she consistently practiced and now it’s her career.

4. Make a commitment. By announcing and committing to posting daily doodles to Instagram, Nicole stayed accountable. She also got to practice a lot which continued to grow her skills.

5. Don’t let fear of what other people think hold you back. Nicole was nervous to start posting her work because she knew she had a lot to improve on. But she did it anyways. People turned out to be more supportive than she thought they’d be.

6. Make your work the focus, not social media. While Nicole enjoys sharing her work and connecting with others on Instagram, she doesn’t let it become a higher priority than her work. She stays focused on what matters the most.

7. It’s okay to trick yourself into showing up for your work. When Nicole doubts herself, she uses a rewards system to herself back to work. Nothing a sweet treat or a podcast can’t fix.

8. Perseverance is key. Many people give up on their Etsy shops too soon. But Nicole stuck with it. She persevered and now she has well over 8,000 sales.

9. Working on what you love makes all the difference. Nicole is able to persevere through the ups and downs because she absolutely loves her work. It’s her passion and she genuinely enjoys it.

10. Finding your passion isn’t always easy and that’s okay. What you’re interested in won’t click right away and you more than likely won’t be a natural talent. But that’s normal. It’s shows more love and passion when you have to consistently work at something when you’re not a “born-talent.”

11. Born-talents aren’t real. (This is my favorite takeaway) So many of us get hung up on the idea of being a “born-talent” when in reality that’s not even a real thing. Like Nicole stated, we’re simply born with an interest in something so we work at it.

12. Have a flexible goalsetting system. Nicole has a daily goalsetting system that works for her, but she keeps it flexible because everyday is different. It’s nice to have guidelines for the day, but no need to beat yourself up if you don’t accomplish everything in one day.

13. Practice, practice, practice. Nicole practiced A LOT to get to where she is today. Again “born-talents” don’t exist. It takes a lot of practice to get good at something.

14. It’s vital to have something you want to practice and master. Getting good at drawing improved Nicole’s overall confidence. Nicole also firmly believes that having a creative pursuit whether as a hobby or a career is vital to being a happier person.

15. One small action can change your life. That one decision to post daily doodles on Instagram changed Nicole’s life. Now, she’s been an illustrator for 10 years and is still loving it. You’re not too young or too old. You just need to get started.

Let me know in the comments what takeaways you got from Nicole’s story. Make sure to check out her beautiful blog and her incredible artwork.

If you want to read more inspiring stories, check out Katie’s story on moving to a new country and starting a blog, and Kelly’s story on opening a business at any age.