Journey To A Career In Creativity: Phase #2
1. Welcome — Day 1 of 100
Hello, and welcome.
If you’ve found your way here, thank you. It means more than you probably realise.
Over the last 52 weeks — at 52 years old — I made a decision that quietly changed everything (well not so quietly but that’s for another day).
I committed to changing career.
Not casually. Not “seeing how it goes.”
But fully — intentionally — week by week — toward becoming a full-time art educator and facilitator.
And I did it.
What I haven’t done over that same period is document it properly.
I haven’t consistently shared the thinking, the doubts, the small wins, the finished pieces, the sketches, the process, or the lessons learned.
That changes today.
2. Why Substack?
I wanted a space that feels more like a studio journal than a social media feed.
Somewhere I can:
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Share finished work and works-in-progress
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Reflect honestly on the process of midlife reinvention
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Explore what it means to teach art — not just make it
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Document the realities of building a creative practice
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Connect everything I’m building online
This newsletter links together:
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CreativePath52
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DamienSemonin.art
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Cornish Cycling Sketcher
All parts of the same creative ecosystem.
This is where it comes together.
3. The 100-Day Project (Starting Today)
Today I begin a 100-day commitment (the annual global 100 day project initiative starts today).
Each day I will:
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Create
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Share
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Reflect
Sometimes that will be a finished piece.
Sometimes a sketch.
Sometimes a lesson learned from teaching.
Sometimes something unfinished but honest.
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s visibility.
Consistency.
Momentum.
And perhaps — community.
4. Why This Matters
Changing direction at 52 has been humbling.
It’s required:
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Courage
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Discipline
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Letting go of old identities
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Stepping into new ones before feeling fully ready
Becoming a full-time art educator isn’t just a job shift. It’s a shift in how I see myself.
And I suspect I’m not the only one navigating reinvention.
If you’re:
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Considering a creative leap
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Returning to art
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Building something later in life
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Taking early retirement
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Transitioning out of the forces to civvy street
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Or simply curious about the process
You’re in the right place.
5. What You Can Expect
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share:
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Studio work
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Teaching insights
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Reflections on creativity and aging
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The practical side of building an art-based career
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The wins and the wobbles
No inflated promises.
Just real process.
If this resonates, subscribe.
If you’re already here — thank you.
Day 1 starts now.
— Damian
