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I had a somewhat similar situation at a similar age though the industry and specifics were different. I moved to Yunnan province in China, taught myself to draw with a pencil and paper. Then bought a Wacom Bamboo tablet and a copy of Adobe Flash and started learning how to make digital art and web games. After that, I moved to California learned how to code at a professional level and worked at some tech companies in the bay area.

I don't think that it's been a net financial win (yet), but I really think it was worth it to experience other parts of life that I'd been ignoring when I had my nose to the grindstone and had tunnel-vision induced by that business. If anything, it would have been better to branched out sooner!

If you truly feel like a failure, try moving abroad for a few months. Meet and talk with people you never would have in your own country. See how they see life. Listen to their stories and their goals. You might be surprised to find that you're not the failure you thought. You might also discover opportunities to take advantage of your skills that you had never considered before.



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