The most successful transition I ever saw from one to the other was a gentleman who started out as an electrical engineer and used the money he made very wisely

The most successful transition I ever saw from one to the other was a gentleman who started out as an electrical engineer and used the money he made very wisely to launch and systematically market his photography. It took about three years, but he was already a very good hobby photographer - in other words, his work was of professional quality. He got very familiar with the market - decided to go with gallery marketing. Then he was very careful about which galleries he went with. (They like to 'discover' someone, so if you've already been with a lesser gallery, it's a big strike against you. This absolutely kills a lot of artists who never find this out.) Then he spent several big grand creating his marketing materials, and carefully targeted his market - the right gallery owners. When he launched, he had figured out his prices - for a limited edition there would be graduated pricing - if you get in early, then you pay less. He's also very sensitive to the larger market - he knows that people don't like to have stark pictures of despair in their living room. It's not his favorite picture to take, but that's his brand. This enables him to work maybe ten days out of the year. He lives in a penthouse apartment overlooking the Pacific. He's a darn good photographer, but there are many as good who never hit it big. The reason people hit it big in the arts (just like anything) is marketing and developing a well-crafted brand over time. He went for where the big money was - the galleries who deal with very upscale clients - and he never deviated from that brand. Being in tech means that you can save up enough to make the transition right and jump in at a higher market. Take the time to evaluate several different markets before you decide - figure out your best approach and then don't be stingy funding it. You can be very successful.