Should I Quit My Job To Follow My Creative Calling? (What No One Tells Christian Artists)
If you’ve ever typed into Google: “Should I quit my job and start a creative business?” or
“How do I know if I’m meant to be self-employed?”
We need to talk!
Because if you know you’re called to create (not just as a hobby, not just on weekends) but as your actual life’s work… then working a “real job” can start to feel like you’re living someone else’s life.
And that ache doesn’t go away.
Ask me how I know.
Hi, I’m Nancy — a mentor for Christian artists and makers who know they’re called to create but need clarity and courage to build a business around it.
If that sounds like you…keep reading. This might be the confirmation you’ve been praying for.
The 9–5 That Sparkled (Until It Didn’t)
My first “real” job was at an advertising agency in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue. I sat at the front desk. I was the face and the voice of the company.
My job description: Answer the phone. Greet visitors. Take lunch at noon and watch All My Children in the break room. That’s it.
By 3 p.m. one long winter afternoon, I was bored out of my mind when the former receptionist (now promoted to Account Executive) leaned over and asked: “Do you cross stitch?”
Excuse me.
Permission to craft… at work?!
She handed me real cloth with tiny holes and showed me how to count the X’s to create a pattern.
For the next six months I could not wait to get downtown!
I stitched dozens of pieces. Gave them as gifts. Even got my husband, my brother, his girlfriend, and my best friends cross stitching in our garden apartment on the south side of Chicago while MTV played in the background. (It was 1983!)
Honestly? Probably the best job I ever had.
Not because of the paycheck.
Because I got to create.
When You Know You’re Meant to Be Self-Employed
When we moved to Florida, I started Nancy’s Needleworks.
I taught my new friends how to cross stitch. Sold pieces and supplies at the flea market.
It wasn’t enough to live on. So I started job hunting.
About 20 jobs in seven years. Yeah, you read that right. Twenty.
Then I got pregnant and I knew (deep in my bones) I was not going to raise my baby and work a 9–5.
So, as God would have it… I quit my job.
For 17 years I was a full-time crafter (fabric doll maker) alongside my engineer husband, and two darling daughters.
And then…
I shut it all down.
I made this cross-stitch piece for my doll business Joyful Creations (1990-2007). It’s currently hanging on the wall in the garage (our old craft studio).
When You Give Up on Your Creative Business
In my book, I wrote:
I turned off my sewing machine, unplugged the glue gun, and walked out of my craft studio for good.
I burned out. I couldn’t do it anymore.
I not only walked away from being self-employed and running a successful six-figure business — I walked away from my true identity.
I got a “real job.”
And for the next 19 years, I became a professional job hopper.
I was “unemployable.” Not because I wasn’t capable. I was actually very good at my jobs. But I hated the grind. Punching a clock. Missing moments. The gray cubicle walls.
I never brought personal items to my desk. No family pictures. No plants, no bobbleheads. No “moving in.”
I told myself: I’m only here long enough to make money so I can be my own boss again.
Every Sunday night I had what I called “the doomies.” Doom. Gloom. Anxiety. Fight or flight.
And then something happened that changed everything…
The Cost of Working for Someone Else’s Dream
When my mom passed away unexpectedly, I was sitting at my desk in the messy stockroom of a fashion boutique.
She died wrapped in my dad’s arms after 50 years of marriage. I wanted to be with my dad when he needed me most, and I was chained to a job!
I had missed holidays. Gatherings. Moments that mattered.
I remember thinking: I am sacrificing my dream and my joy for a steady paycheck.
And then I became a Glamma and something inside me shifted. I realized I didn’t want to miss one more moment. I didn’t want to settle for a life that didn’t align with my divine design and Kingdom assignment.
So I stepped away (again) but this time intentionally.
Why Some Women Were Never Meant for a Job
Let’s talk about something we don’t always say out loud. Some of us were never meant to conform to the working world.
We think differently. We need freedom. We want to play and create. We are just wired this way.
From a very young age, you probably felt it too. You don’t just want to create. You HAVE to. Anything less feels like you’re dimming your light.
God says we are not to conform to this world. We are set apart.
You Are Not “Unemployable.” You Are Called.
Maybe you’ve:
- Left entrepreneurship for a “real job”
- Tried to be responsible and secure
- Dipped your toe into business between paychecks
- Felt guilty for wanting more
Friend, you’re not a failure, you’re called.
God calls first — then He refines. (Think Queen Esther)
You haven’t had the proper preparation, that’s all.
Being self-employed is a becoming. You say “yes”. Then you prepare and partner with Him.
Your “real job” is to show up boldly as the creative He designed you to be!
Even if people are confused. Even if they ask, “But what do you actually do?” Even if your paycheck looks different.
Because your calling can’t wait.
Daily Scripture for Creative Artists
Here’s the verse for today’s creative journaling: (You’re ready!)
Exodus 35: 31-33
“I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills — to make artistic designs…”
God didn’t just call prophets and kings. He called artisans.
He filled Bezalel with skill, creativity, and divine strategy.
As you journal this Scripture, ask yourself: Where have I been minimizing the skills God specifically placed inside me?
How to Begin…
PRAY first
PRINT the verse
Create a PRETTY PAGE (decorate the page: doodle, color, collage, tape, stamp, paint, glitter, glue…)
PROCLAIM! (write a truth statement or prayer)
POST it! Share your journal page on social media. Tag me on Instagram @thelipstickboss and use hashtag #dressoutlouddaily (If I share it, you’ll receive a special treat from me!)
Behind the Scenes: What I’m Working On Now
I’m reimagining my original fabric doll designs into paper doll bookmarks — turning stitches into paper stories.
They’re available now in my Etsy shop. Hand-painted Paper Dolls with Tassels for Junk Journals. Bookmarks. Journal Tags.
Today’s Takeaway – Your success is in your design.
If working a “real job” feels like you’re slowly disappearing, you’re not crazy. You’re called.
You were created to bring beauty and light into dark places — not clock in, clock out, and recover from exhaustion.
Stop trying to fit into a mold that was never designed for you.
Your calling isn’t irresponsible or frivolous. It’s intentional.
Are you ready to step boldly into your creative calling? Let’s do it together!
Keep the Inspiration Going
If you’re wondering, Can You Really Make a Living as a Christian Artist? Read here.
Resources for Your Creative Journey
And if you’re ready to rebuild your creative life from the inside out, download the Beauty Blueprint — my free guide with 5 self-care practices for supernatural success in life and business.
Getting on that list will also give you first access to something special coming soon…
✨ The Dress Out Loud Club ✨
Where Christian Creatives stop playing small and start partnering with God to build bold, beautiful, profitable businesses.
