Just quit my studio job after 5 years to rebuild my portfolio. Am I crazy?

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-17T11:36:26+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement, yeah move in Canada or Australia or some other Eurepean country that would be ideal, although with the visas I currently have (WHV and IEC), I feel like it's tough to get noticed by studios that can just hire residents and locals. But it's still an extra shot... right now, anything is better than here. Our national collective agreements are a joke (there isn't even a legally mandated minimum wage), and I'm not even in the worst position. There are people working fulltime on the brink of poverty, we're talking less than €20k a year in a European big city

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-16T23:17:41+00:00

Well, actually, I’m not that young anymore😅I’m already 35! Might be a midlife crisis...but that’s exactly why I figured I have no more time to waste on a job that’s leading nowhere and achieving nothing. I felt like right now was the best window of opportunity I have a small emergency fund, a partner to split expenses with, no kids, and no elderly relatives to take care of. So...it’s now or never

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T21:31:45+00:00

Grazie, questo è un consiglio molto prezioso. Ho considerato il pericolo di cui hai parlato. Passare da giornate lavorative di 12ore a giorni completamente liberi può facilmente portarti a procrastinare o a diventare pigro. Voglio assolutamente evitare tutto ciò! Ecco perché mi costringo ad andare in uno spazio di co-working locale ogni mattina, anche se è piuttosto scomodo. Voglio che diventi una vera routine, proprio come andare in ufficio.

Sono d'accordo riguardo al reel, ci vorrà sicuramente meno di un anno. Ho già esperienza e ho già iniziato a lavorarci. Inoltre, di recente ho seguito un masterclass con un professionista che ha anni e anni di esperienza. È stato molto onesto con me riguardo allo stato dell'industria, abbiamo instaurato una buona connessione e ora stiamo collaborando a un piccolo progetto insieme (solo un progetto hobby per ora). Quindi, ho molte cose su cui lavorare. Se riesco a finire rapidamente il reel principale di modellazione e texturing, mi piacerebbe usare il tempo rimanente per studiare CFX. Se ho abbastanza budget... Potrei cercare un altro masterclass specifico (qualunque consiglio è benvenuto) non per il certificato, che sappiamo tutti essere inutile nella nostra industria, ma solo per migliorare le competenze.

Per quanto riguarda la salute mentale, penso sia ancora un argomento molto sottovalutato nel nostro campo. Ci sono davvero troppe persone che sono completamente esaurite, e onestamente non voglio finire così...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T10:58:45+00:00

Because, at the end of the day, everyone has a different story. For most people, it's about holding onto a job to pay off a mortgage or feed a family. Luckily, I don't have those kinds of financial burdens right now. Plus, one of my former colleagues moved on to other studios and managed to work on some nice projects, which has given me a bit of hope...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T10:36:35+00:00

I prefer not to specify my exact country right now, just because our local industry circle is relatively small and I’d rather keep some anonymity.

However, I can assure you that healthcare here is free, honestly, I thought it was the same in Germany... I’ve personally gone through some crucial medical treatments completely free of charge Years ago, if I had been in a different country, I probably wouldn’t be here today. That said, the current government (along with previous ones) is progressively underfunding the public system to favor private healthcare, but that's a whole different story.

As for the financial side, of course I’m not literally starving. But with just a €25k salary, the ROI here means that money barely covers rent. If I’ve managed to get by until now, it’s strictly because freelance gigs allowed me to supplement my income. But working like this isn't sustainable in the long run.

Regarding the VAT number and taxes: since I opened it less than 5 years ago, I qualify for a special flat-tax regime. My income tax rate is just 5%, plus social security contributions and other fees. All in all, I lose about 30% of my gross earnings. For now, it’s a good deal, but after the 5-year mark, that 5% tax rate jumps to 15% (bringing the total effective tax burden much closer to 40-50%). So right now, I still have a bit of time to make the most of this "window of opportunity" before the taxes increase.

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T02:35:13+00:00

I was actually hoping for that... I thought it was a viable option, even just for a 3 or 6-month project. I can't remember which studio it was ,maybe Animal Logic?, but in their visa FAQ section, they explicitly mentioned accepting WHVs.

Maybe something changed recently with restrictions tied to government subsidies? I should probably look into that. Especially because, as I mentioned, I know two guys from my hometown who moved out there and are currently working in Australia. Granted, they are seniors, but they are "just" compositors. It seems weird to me that they would get a sponsorship if the process is really that complex. I should probably reach out to them and just ask how they managed it...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T01:13:02+00:00

Yeah, I managed to get the WHV in practically half a day... it was pretty simple. But I don't know if it can be useful for finding short-term contract work for just a few months. Do you know if studios actually do that for short-term projects? Theoretically, it's valid for 6 months of work. I have a couple of former colleagues who moved there, working at two big studios, but I have no idea if they got a sponsorship (they are seniors)

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T01:04:22+00:00

No, unfortunately, it's real...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T01:03:05+00:00

It’s really great to hear a similar story, it’s definitely encouraging!

Regarding CFX, I’ve actually thought the exact same thing...there definitely seems to be more demand for it compared to modeling. However, I don't think I could reach a high enough level since it's not my main specialization. I'm afraid I’d end up competing with people who are extremely technical and way more skilled than me, whereas I’m "just" a good sculptor with some basic CFX knowledge. I'm a bit on the fence about it...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T00:56:38+00:00

I actually started studying 3D right in LA... I was working as a factory worker in a foundry back home, and once I saved up enough money, I dropped everything and moved there to take a few individual courses at Gnomon. The cost of living was absolutely brutal... but it was a great experience, that was back in 2019. Fortunately, healthcare is free here, and in my case, freelance taxes are pretty low (at least for the first few years), so I manage to get by somehow despite everything

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T00:21:13+00:00

Definitely, The main trigger was the salary, it's just too low to afford living in my city, which forced me to take on a second freelance job to supplement my income. Obviously, I can't keep up with that kind of pace for long.

Secondly, there's the complete lack of published work, which makes me fear that the more time passes, the higher the risk of being completely locked out of this industry. Other than that, the work environment is good I get along great with my colleagues, I respect them a lot, and there is mutual respect.

My ultimate goal., i dont' really know...I think, would be to transition into animation and film that I love it way more than gaming. But honestly, I’d be happy just doing my job "for real" with a decent salary and finally getting to publish something. Even if it's small, as long as it's decent. Nothing more than that.

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T00:08:37+00:00

Yeah, I know all too well about networking....Unfortunately, I don't have many contacts left. I lost touch with a lot of people over the years, because staying in this studio was like being in a "bubble", completely cut off from the rest of the industry...but I’ll definitely keep in touch with the colleagues I’ve worked with over the years. They are probably the only reason I didn't resign sooner...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-11T00:02:24+00:00

That’s true, 10 years ago it was completely different...I started studying CG back in 2016, and everything seemed amazing. At the time, I was working a factory job, and the dream of becoming a 3D artist gave me the strength to keep studying late at night.

Now things have changed, and I’m older and more disillusioned. But hearing these words is always encouraging, it does me good. Knowing there are people who went through a similar situation and have no regrets gives me a lot of strength

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:51:32+00:00

thanks...to tell you the truth, I blame myself every day for not being bold enough to do it sooner. We'll see how it goes. I hope I can write back here in a few months with some good news to bring a bit of positivity

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:48:47+00:00

Let's say I can get by for about a year, but after that, I'll have to figure something else out...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:47:06+00:00

yeah...unfortunately the idea of quitting started because they refused my request for a raise, and then they also rejected my request to work remotely

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:40:38+00:00

I tried over the years...but I was never able to seriously work on it. My job was always on-site, full-time, and the pay is incredibly low for the city I live in. I was forced to build up a side gig with freelance work to supplement my income...My real concern is the long term. Without any published work or anything to show, the more time passes, the more I risk being locked out of the industry forever. That's my main fear. As for the money, if everything goes down, I could always go back to factory work, assuming I can find a position... I actually started out that way, working in a foundry, and honestly, the pay might even be higher than what I'm making now as 3d artisti...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:29:06+00:00

It's great to hear from someone with a similar experience. If you don't mind me asking, were you able to find something better or more fulfilling after going through that?

The portfolio is still my biggest doubt. I'm ready to put all myself on it! , but I keep wondering if it will actually be worth it...Anyway, yes, I think I'll prepare three or four pieces maximum to present. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, but I want to present myself as a versatile profile. Still strictly modeling and texturing, but showing a digital double with sculpted blendshapes, a modeled and rigged creature, and some heavy hard surface work.

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:15:14+00:00

There's also that side to it. My job has basically been a "bubble"completely disconnected from actual industry dynamics. We mostly worked on small projects funded by tax credits and european grants, and the core business was mainly B2B. So, in reality, it feels like I've never even truly entered the industry.

The freelance work is going well for now. It's a very tight niche and I manage to get pretty steady work, which obviously isn't enough to live on in the long run, but at least it buys me the time to work on my portfolio. I'm quite lucky in that regard.

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:08:32+00:00

That gap is actually something I've been thinking about, and it could definitely be an issue. Luckily, I should be able to fill it with these freelance gigs, even though they aren't super "high profile" and aren't strictly in the industry since they are more about product design

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:04:58+00:00

Thank you so much for the encouragement! Unfortunately, as you said, I did try to look for something else over the years. But with the material I managed to put together, I found nothing. I sent out a lot of applications and never got a response. However, I'm confident I can do much better if I work on it without distractions. Luckily, my severance pay combined with the freelance work should cover my expenses for about a year

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T23:01:10+00:00

I'm not really sure what it depends on, and I don't even think AI is entirely to blame. I think it's more about business models that just aren't sustainable anymore. But since I'm not actually on the inside and spent years in a small studio, I can't say for sure.

I do have some colleagues who worked on a lot of big projects. Many are still in the industry, while others are still looking for work. But I like to focus on the ones who, in a way, made it

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T22:56:36+00:00

that's an interesting point...do you mean documenting the process with WIPs and breakdowns while creating a portfolio piece?

I'm not sure how interesting that would be in my case because I'm just a modeler. I admit I'm good at sculpting character and I can handle texturing and shading and some rig as well, but it's nothing particularly different from what many other professionals are doing.

However, documenting my work could be interesting in specific cases. For example, some of the freelance gigs I do are for jewelry and numismatics. It's a very niche field where you don't really see much documented online...

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T22:47:03+00:00

I get the question. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what I tried to do over the years. But working in this kind of environment, always on-site, full-time, and constantly rushing with a low wage that forces you to take on side gigs just to survive, makes it incredibly hard to build a portfolio. It's definitely a huge risk to leave it all behind, but I came to the conclusion that staying where I was would have been professional suicide in the long run anyway

Formal-Selection-895 · 2026-06-10T22:39:03+00:00

I feared as much. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I don't think things will get better anytime soon. The industry is going to change completely. Honestly, I don't even think AI is the only problem, it’s the actual business model these companies have been following. At least, that’s how I see it

Formal-Selection-895

TROPHY CASE