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I have a plethora of passions, where do I start?

I am a 26 year old unemployed (working on school) aspiring digital artist for a specific niche, I have been drawing since 2014 traditionally and picked up an iPad for art during/around the time of the pandemic of COVID-19 (20and 19-2022). My prefered drawing application is procreate and ive been drawing digitally and traditioanlly ever since.
I also have a huge interest in Experimental Chemistry (I have no experience in chem at all, never got the chance since I did not immediatly go to college after high school (caused by my learning disabilities).

I also have a HUGE interest in AI, and helping improve it for future generations of neurodivergent learners like me.

As you can see I have a lot of passions, can I put them together, do I "need" schooling for these passions, can I learn without? (If enrolled in school I'd love to actually go to a campus to learn, but at the moment I have no transportation since I am still co-dependent on my mother and grandfather for money, but I have also been looking into online "side hustles" I could manage, since I am the only one in the house at the moment who can make an income (My mother has not worked for years and refuses to. and my grandfather has recently retired from his 60+ year job and is currently focusing the rest of his money elsewhere).

college science art ai creative online neurodivergent autistic right-brain unilateral-deafness
Thank you comment icon Start with first passion and where you have the most knowledge and build from there. Dennis Stone
Thank you comment icon Helpful and practical advice. Thank you for sharing this perspective. Anuj Gupta
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Kalika’s Answer

Hello Nicole,

I can identify with your passions as I call myself a renaissance woman having both an art and business background. I went to undergrad at the Savannah College of Art and Design, ran my own photography company for a while, including shooting famous people in Hollywood. Now I am graduating with my PhD and have an amazing career at Deloitte.

I want to give you this advice, being both right brained and left brained is very good. I would start by offering services as a freelancer. There are many services you could offer like Social Media Graphics, Instagram posts and reels, Linkedin banners, Facebook ads, TikTok content packages to name a few. For AI design services you can create book covers, podcast artwork, album cover, event flyers, etc. To advertise yourself you can use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Contra, and LinkedIn.

Take your skills and create a portfolio and look into different colleges for portfolio scholarships. My alma mater scad.edu has a lot of offers. I wish you huge success!
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Anuj’s Answer

You can absolutely combine these! Your sweet spot is AI EdTech Design—using your digital art to design intuitive, accessible AI learning tools for neurodivergent students.

How to Start:
Schooling: Skip expensive campus chemistry for now. Use free online platforms like Khan Academy for chemistry, and Coursera for AI basics. You do not need a formal degree to succeed.

Online Income: Start an online side hustle by training AI models on platforms like DataAnnotation.tech. It brings in immediate income, accommodates learning disabilities, and gives you direct, hands-on experience with AI!
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Samantha’s Answer

Start with one step at a time! I discovered a passion for digital art, even though my career isn't related to art yet. I'm back in school to finish a degree in advertising and marketing. After that, I plan to get a certificate in digital marketing. My goal is to design and create communications for companies. Even though I'm still working towards using my Procreate skills, I'm taking it one step at a time! I also suggest looking for creative jobs at AI-focused companies, where you can blend different interests.
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Theodore’s Answer

It's completely fine if you haven't figured everything out yet. Having many interests can be exciting because you get to explore how to turn them into a career. Is it possible? Definitely! Creating a career from your passions can be challenging, but that's also what makes it enjoyable.
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Sandeep’s Answer

Hello Nicole,

You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. Your interests in art, AI, and helping neurodivergent learners can actually complement each other.

Start with the passion that excites you most and build skills through projects and free online resources. You can learn a lot without formal schooling, and over time you'll discover how your interests fit together.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for giving me advice. Nicole
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shiv’s Answer

Focus on what makes you happy and try to include technology in it. AI is a major trend. You can use AI, like ChatGPT or Claude, to get what you need without coding. However, try creating your own version to explore more opportunities. This could lead to freelancing or marketing work. You can also help local businesses by modernizing their logos or marketing strategies. Offering advice can spread through word-of-mouth, helping you grow and succeed.
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Andrew’s Answer

Hi, you can actually use AI (e.g., Claude or ChatGPT) to help you learn Experimental Chemistry or generate art. You have specific skills, knowledge and abilities as a digital artist for a specific niche that you can actually create into a Claude skill. That would differentiate your outputs that are created from your perspective versus everyone else's. There's beauty in art and a lot of that does come from the human perspective.

There are many use cases with AI and you can even program a newsletter with specific content tailored to your requirements around experimental chemistry that is sent to your inbox every morning so you're always learning in the flow of your day! If you have follow up questions, you can ask your AI solution- Make sure it's not hallucinating by setting up guardrails and asking it specifically to pull from reputable sources that you select. You'll also see that ChatGPT and Claude will most likely generate different answers.

I don't think you need schooling yet for these; it's early and school is a huge investment. It seems like you're getting a lot of great responses here and if it's overwhelming - use AI (e.g., Claude) to create a plan or shortlist of recommendations based on which responses specifically solve your pain points and how many times the recommendation is repeated.

I applaud the curiosity! I also am passionate about many things and it's always great to explore, especially in this day and age when you have AI that can pull the right level of information to you at your convenience!
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Wendy’s Answer

AI is one of the fields where skills, experience, and results are more important than a degree for non-technical roles. There are many affordable courses on Coursera, Google Digital Garage, and Microsoft Learn, available for free or for a nominal fee; you don't need a college degree. AI roles (without a degree): AI prompt engineer, AI trainer, AI content specialist, AI data annotator, AI customer service rep., AI recruiter, AI community manager, and more. It's important to know how to use Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar tools. Startups need people who can learn quickly, make decisions, communicate well, and get results.

Here are some possible career paths:

AI Creative/AI Artist

1. Learn tools such as MidJourney, Adobe Firefly, and Blender. Build a portfolio and do projects that include Chemistry and Art
AI Content and Design
1. Learn UX/UI design
2. Learn how to use AI for visual design, animation, and storytelling
3. Learn technical skills like Python, prompt engineering, automation, and workflows

Scientific Design
1. Create visualizations of chemistry concepts
2. AI is used in scientific learning

For companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and other positions, you'd need a college degree. My recommendation is to spend the next 6 months building a portfolio and learning AI. AI SkillsOverDegrees LifelongLearning

Wendy recommends the following next steps:

If you have further questions, please reach out. Good luck!
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Kim’s Answer

Hi Nicole,

I don't know what's going to happen with the future of work, but currently many employers are looking for candidates with an undergrad degree at minimum. I don't think that's a great reason to go to school. It's expensive and it's not for everyone. But it's an important consideration and required for many professions, as you know.

If you want to be a freelance illustrator, the only things that really matter are your portfolio, your interpersonal skills, and your ability to deliver quality work that meets the client's needs. But you'll have to find ways to reach potential clients--through networking, answering ads, participating in exhibitions, and so on--until you can get a representative to do all that for you.

As long as you have some financial and personal support, maybe really bearing down on one of those side hustles is the answer. If you use print on demand, self-publishing is virtually free, for example. You could put your graphics on consumer products or illustrate books.

Another consideration is that formal training will speed your development and introduce you to all sorts of resources you might not find on your own. Maybe look into community ed. courses or software tutorials to help you expand your horizons, depending on what works for your learning style. Or perhaps try some distance learning until you find a way to get to and from campus if you decide you want to get a degree after all.

For now, if you can, I'd try to focus on one potential career or educational area, and try to make sure you also have enough time for fun and to explore things casually, so there's no pressure around it.

It's a really weird time, and so much is changing. But you're young, and you can take this time to explore your options, watch the landscape change, and figure out how to adapt to it.

Hope this helps. Wishing you all the best in all your pursuits!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for giving me advice. Nicole
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Patti’s Answer

You are not alone. I too have many passions. Art and technology are my biggest two. My full-time career is in Risk Management for Deloitte, but I try to inject creativity where I can. For the art, I don't have any formal art education, but through local art groups in my community I have entered a few art shows and have even won an award for my art! Joining organizations, especially local or online, will allow for networking and exposure of your art. Many groups offer one-time classes or classes that run a few weeks and they are not that expensive. I would definitely look into those. You could have your art be a "side gig" until you're more established. Art can be many things other than items on a wall. The things you can make can easily be put up on a site like Etsy - all online!
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Cris’s Answer

Hi Nicole, okay first — art AND AI AND chemistry? You're not scattered; you're just interesting!

Honestly, your art + AI combo is something companies are actively looking for right now. People who get both the creative and technical sides are rare, and that's exactly where some companies thrive. So that "plethora of passions" you mentioned? That could be your edge in an interview.
But what really got me was your interest in helping neurodivergent learners through AI. That's not just a passion; that's a real gap that needs people like you. AI is creating entirely new ways to learn — ways that don't rely on the traditional social classroom context that can be hard for a lot of people. You understand that from the inside. That perspective is valuable.
Start with what you already have — you've been drawing since 2014; that's years of skill. Build on that, let AI amplify it, and don't pressure yourself to connect all the dots right now. They will connect, just maybe not in the order you expect.
You're not behind; you're building something!
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TRAVIS’s Answer

AI is a great way to learn about new things since you can ask it to create a lesson plan for you that is specific to your needs. I would explore what connections you have. If your grandfather recently retired, what work did he do? Is there an opportunity for you in that type of work. Alot of jobs will offer training and pay for college in some cases. Decide what your resources are and what is available to you within walking distance or via public transportation. There are remote jobs available, but they can be a scam or are very competitive for the legit ones. A profession that requires alot of energy and passion is the education field. Consider any available role at the nearest school district to you. Not all jobs require a degree. Good luck, you will do well.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, this is really helpful. Nicole
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Eria’s Answer

Caring deeply about many things shows your passion. You don't have to choose just one path. Instead, think about how you can integrate your interests into a career. Your love for art and AI, especially with your own experiences with learning disabilities, is valuable. If you choose to explore a career in counseling or a similar field, your lived experiences as an individual with learning disabilities gives you an advantage. You can keep learning about neurodivergence and also use your experiences to enrich your style of work, while staying true to who you are.
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Maria’s Answer

Start with digital art, then move to AI, and later explore chemistry in a guided environment. You don't need school for digital art, but it can help. In 2026, artists can make money through commissions, digital products, print-on-demand, tutorials, and niche freelance projects. Focus on building a strong online portfolio and targeting a specific niche for better opportunities.

Maria recommends the following next steps:

Use digital art as the first income engine: commissions, niche portfolio pieces, print-on-demand, brushes, or simple digital products
Use AI as the first skill-building engine: take one practical course, build a small portfolio project, and explore how AI can support neurodivergent learners
Keep chemistry as a structured future track: intro coursework first, experimentation only in supervised environments
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Joe’s Answer

Your enthusiasm is fantastic! Be proud of your passion because many people struggle to find theirs. You're already ahead.

Art is something you should keep doing, no matter where life takes you. Stay connected with others on Instagram, follow artists, and learn from them. Some will respond to your questions, and that's a great way to grow. I returned to art after a 15-year break, and it's been wonderful. If art is your passion, always find a way to keep it alive.

AI can really boost your art and other interests. Most AI tools have free versions, so try them out and find one you like. Then, consider taking a class on platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn. Start small to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I use AI daily at work, and it's an exciting field with endless possibilities.

As for experimental chemistry, you can use AI to assist you. Look for local junior college classes or online courses. You might even find chat groups or clubs to join.

Good luck with your passions! It's wonderful to have them, so keep nurturing them.
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Ladahvia’s Answer

You don't need to have everything figured out right now or pinpoint your passion immediately, but following what excites you is important. Experiencing college life isn't limited to being on campus; many top colleges offer online courses where attending in person isn't required. AI is an interesting field that could be a valuable addition to your interests.

Remember to enjoy the journey and have fun—there's no need to put pressure on yourself!
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Brandon ’s Answer

Since a lot of people already answered, I'm going to be very brief.

Since there is SO much information about almost everything online, I think you can probably learn at least some of your passions at a relatively decent level. But as some people already mentioned in some of the comments, it might be good to narrow down your passions to at least one or two at a time so you have time to focus on them rather than trying to do multiple things at a time and not having a good overall experience.
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Preetham’s Answer

Extremely happy to see the diversity in your interests. Just like college major selection, you need to pick one or max 2 as focused area for deep learning and keep the rest as passions
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