To be honest, it was a slow burn. I was really lucky. I applied for a three-month writing job with Architizer, and they came back and said, "We don't want you for that, but would you consider writing a piece a week for us?" I had a lot of experience writing guidelines and design books for hotel brands, so they trusted I knew what I was talking about.
That was four years and over 250 articles ago. I only decided to take it on full-time at the end of last year. It was scary, and I'm still not always convinced I made the right choice. Writing is not always consistent, and it doesn't generally pay that well!
But I was finding the commercial interior design industry in the UK a real struggle, with projects getting shelved continuously, money getting pulled, and there was just no joy in it for me. I think that might have been different if I considered moving to London, but that's not something I'm willing to do.
With writing, I learn about design, architecture, history, people and places every single day. As someone who thrives on knowledge, it feels like a much better fit for now.
Wow this is wonderful. Thank you for being so honest...so refreshing. I am really enjoying writing alongside design work, it feels so good to share knowledge in a space where you can be yourself.
Loved this article too...I work mainly remotely and I love the freedom and flexibility it brings but it's not always sunshine and rainbows!
Look forward to reading more of your substack (only found you this morning) and thank you so much for recommending me. Means the world x
Love this! How did you transition from a design job into a writing job?
Thanks, Charlotte!
To be honest, it was a slow burn. I was really lucky. I applied for a three-month writing job with Architizer, and they came back and said, "We don't want you for that, but would you consider writing a piece a week for us?" I had a lot of experience writing guidelines and design books for hotel brands, so they trusted I knew what I was talking about.
That was four years and over 250 articles ago. I only decided to take it on full-time at the end of last year. It was scary, and I'm still not always convinced I made the right choice. Writing is not always consistent, and it doesn't generally pay that well!
But I was finding the commercial interior design industry in the UK a real struggle, with projects getting shelved continuously, money getting pulled, and there was just no joy in it for me. I think that might have been different if I considered moving to London, but that's not something I'm willing to do.
With writing, I learn about design, architecture, history, people and places every single day. As someone who thrives on knowledge, it feels like a much better fit for now.
Wow this is wonderful. Thank you for being so honest...so refreshing. I am really enjoying writing alongside design work, it feels so good to share knowledge in a space where you can be yourself.
Loved this article too...I work mainly remotely and I love the freedom and flexibility it brings but it's not always sunshine and rainbows!
Look forward to reading more of your substack (only found you this morning) and thank you so much for recommending me. Means the world x
Oh, that’s so nice of you to say—thank you! And yeah, it’s always a trade-off, but for me, the freedom outweighs the uncertainty (most days, anyway).
And not at all! I shared your work because I genuinely enjoyed it. It’s thoughtful, insightful, and a really helpful resource.
👏🏼