Way Out #5: From Corporate Art Director to Watercolor Artist with Ken Stanek

Interested in learning how to manifest a layoff and start a creative career? You're in the right place.Ken Stanek spent 20 years in corporate design jobs that sucked the soul out of him. From DIRECTV to pharmaceutical ad agencies, he felt like he was wearing a mask every day. So, he decided to stop pretending. He quietly built his portfolio, "manifested a layoff," and used his severance to jump into a full-time art career.In this episode, Ken shares his refreshingly honest business strategy: "F*ck around and find out" in the best of ways.We discuss why you don’t need a master plan; you just need the willingness to throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks. From painting pet portraits in a Slack channel to landing massive mural commissions, Ken reveals the messy, terrifying, and exhilarating reality of working for yourself. In this episode, you will learn:• The "Body Check": How Ken knew watercolor was his medium (and corporate wasn't) based on physical reaction.• The Exit Strategy: How to use a corporate job as a runway to build your safety net.• The Financial Reality: The truth about self-employment taxes, fluctuating income, and the "exhilaration vs. terror" ratio.• The "Maus" Story: How a stint as a NYC bike messenger led to his most prized possession.Resources:• Follow Ken: ⁠@StudioNumberNine⁠• Check out his work: ⁠www.studionumbernine.net⁠------------------------------------------101 Ways Out explores how thoughtful, capable people step away from inherited definitions of success and begin designing lives rooted in freedom, meaning, and joy.Through intimate conversations with founders, creatives, coaches, executives, and explorers, host Vanessa Jupe uncovers the moments that changed everything: burnout, clarity, fear, courage, and the decision to choose a different path.These are not overnight success stories. They are real conversations about identity, autonomy, money, fear, creativity, and what it actually takes to build a life that lights you up.🎧 New episodes weekly🔗 Learn more: ⁠https://101WaysOut.com⁠