Latest update:
One Googler left after nearly eight years, but it wasn’t just burnout that changed her life; It was an unexpected discovery during a long trip abroad
A simple hobby has become something much bigger. (LinkedIn/Sarah Wilczynska)
For Sarah Wilczynska, getting a job at Google was once a major career goal. But after spending nearly eight years at the company, she realized that the life she had built no longer made her happy.
Despite the promotions, good salary and generous employee benefits, she decided to resign without waiting for another job. Today, she runs her own art business, a path she never imagined she would follow, according to a report by Business Insider.
She started her career in technology
In an article published by Business Insider, Sarah shared how she left a successful career in the tech industry to pursue something completely different. She said she grew up in Warsaw, Poland during the 1980s when the country was still under communist rule.
“I remember witnessing the transition to capitalism,” she wrote. After obtaining a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Warsaw, she completed an internship in Barcelona and studied in Edinburgh.
At the age of 25, she moved to London, where she started working as a software engineer at an investment bank. Although the job was stable, she often found herself wondering if this was the life she really wanted.
In 2015, she joined Google in Zurich before later moving to New York. There I worked in the news section of Google Search. “On paper, my career was everything I worked for,” she wrote. Google offers flexible work, supportive colleagues, attractive benefits and the freedom to choose projects, she said.
Besides programming and meetings, her days included yoga classes, gym sessions, birthday meals and subsidized massages. He also enjoyed a fixed salary and stock options.
You start to feel disconnected
Over time, Sarah received two promotions. But with each upgrade, she spent less time writing code and more time attending meetings. “I began to feel disconnected. A growing feeling that the pace wasn’t sustainable for me. This constant stimulation — screens, deadlines, notifications, expectations — was pulling me away from myself,” she wrote.
During the pandemic, she and her partner moved to San Diego. She said slowing down helped her notice the little moments she was missing. “I started to notice little things again. The smell of jasmine on a warm evening. The simple joy of eating a fish taco. This realization made it impossible to ignore the imbalance in my work,” she recalls.
Before deciding to leave, she tried different ways to make her job more fulfilling. She trained in sound therapy, got involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives at Google, changed projects, and even reduced her hours. However, I felt like something was missing.
“At some point, I realized that a job can tick all the boxes — it can look perfect on paper — but if something deeper is missing, it’s not enough,” she wrote.
A trip that changed everything
By the end of 2022, Sarah decided to resign without having another job. Around the same time, her partner also lost her job. The couple rented their apartment in San Diego and spent the next year traveling. They visited several countries across Southeast Asia along with Australia and New Zealand.
Eventually, they stayed for six months on Koh Tao, a small island in Thailand. “Life there was simple. My partner was a diving master, and I had something I hadn’t experienced in years: unstructured time,” she wrote.
With free time on her hands, Sarah picked up watercolors for the first time. “I had no formal training,” she said. “I just felt drawn to it.” She started taking online lessons and painted everyday scenes from the island.
Later, she shared her artwork in local Facebook groups, where people started buying her paintings. “They would say to me, ‘This perfectly captures my memory of this place,’” she wrote.
She built an art project
After returning from her travels, Sarah decided to turn drawing into a full-time career. She launched her Swil Arts studio in San Diego, where she now creates original watercolor artwork. They also sell prints, homewares, and custom illustrations.
Sarah admitted that she earns less than she did while working at Google. However, she said that her idea of success completely changed. “Success is completely different now. It’s not about productivity or output. It’s about impact. If one person stops because of my work — if they feel something, remember something — that’s enough,” she said.
About the author
The team of writers at News18.com bring you stories about what’s buzzing on the internet while exploring science, cricket, technology, sex, Bollywood and culture.
Read more
