Hi, I'm Mike — a Senior Engineering Manager in Berlin who's been building creative work on the side for years.

By day, I lead technical teams and navigate corporate life. By night (and weekends), I write, host a podcast, and work on projects that excite me creatively. It's a juggling act that millions of us are trying to figure out.

Why This Newsletter Exists

I started writing because I was fascinated by a specific tension: the gap between wanting meaningful creative work and needing the security of a traditional career.

Most advice about creativity assumes you can drop everything and "follow your passion." Most career advice assumes work should be enough. But what about the space in between? What about building something meaningful while keeping the day job that pays for life?

That's what I write about here: the practical and emotional challenges of building creative work alongside or instead of traditional careers.

What You'll Get

Every week, I share:

• Personal experiments in balancing creative work with full-time employment

• Insights from conversations with people navigating similar challenges (from my podcast)

• Practical systems for making progress when time and energy are limited

• Honest takes on the trade-offs between security and creativity

I don't have it all figured out. I'm figuring it out alongside you.

My Story

I've always been drawn to creative work; writing, photography, filmmaking, podcasting, but for years I convinced myself these were "just hobbies." The engineering career was (and still is) serious, and the creative stuff always took a back seat.

That changed when I realized how energized I was by even a 30-minute writing session. I started asking: what if creative work isn't separate from professional life? What if it's actually essential to it?

So I began experimenting. I started writing this newsletter (originally called "Roads Untaken"). I launched a podcast interviewing people who were navigating similar questions. I began treating creative work not as an escape from my career, but as a complement to it.

The more I shared this journey, the more I discovered others wrestling with the same tensions. People who love their expertise but crave creative expression. People who want financial security but also want to make something meaningful and creatie. People who are tired of living in two separate worlds.

This newsletter is for them. For us!

About the Podcast

I also host conversations with people building meaningful creative work alongside or instead of traditional careers. Recent guests have included newsletter creators, indie filmmakers, YouTubers, and others who've found ways to honor both security and creativity.

You can find new episodes every other Wednesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

Let's Connect

If something resonates, hits differently, or if you're working through similar challenges, I'd love to hear about it.

You can also find me on LinkedIn where I share thoughts on management, creativity, and the intersection of the two.

Thanks for being here.

—Mike

This newsletter is about building meaningful creative work alongside or instead of traditional careers. New issues every Friday.