thanks both

What kind of creative projects? Just asking as that might help suggest some area to start?

Putting my head on the block here but I've done a lot of playing music/putting on events but nothing that I ever expected to make money from. I've always been applying for jobs within the arts but I think I need to maybe make a total separation between career and leisure. And I was working at a cinema and having the odd interview for film festivals etc but as an industry I've found the competitiveness has made it fairly impenetrable, and its not really a place to make money anyway.

I think you just have to really look at what you honestly want, if an industry being competitive is a concern or off putting but you also want to have a competitive salary you probably need to consider which is more important as the 2 pretty much go together.. and i think that applies to all industry creative or not.

If your not under pressure to have a larger income you really should weigh up what you want from life, and what sacrifice you want to make and what you expect it to return you financial or otherwise. is this change primarily driven by the desire to grow personally or economically , is it coming from you or is it being driven by seeing your peers go off and get 'proper jobs'

I would advise looking to get work experience/internships in the areas you feel would be rewarding for you, get in to those environments and gain a better practical understanding of the job/industry and the rolls within it, you can't beat first hand experience to give you context and this can then feed in to choices about training etc 3 months of interning will give you a much better picture and cost you less even if unpaid than doing a course

Really appreciate both of these responses, cheers. Lockdown has come at a really odd time for me and being left on my arse so to speak is a great position to take stock and evaluate and plan. Thanks!

maybe someone on here has some insights on this…

i put an offer in for a flat at full asking price a few days ago, but the seller has accepted a higher mortgage bid ["significantly above asking price"].

my finances are in place to go ahead if that offer fell through, so i'm speculating what the chances are of this happening with the current situation.

i know mortgages have dried up, and to come in at over asking price [which was at the upper end of fair] has me thinking that the offer may fall through in an independent valuation is done.

i need to move as soon as possible so really i should press on with looking elsewhere but this place was the best i'd seen for my budget.

Also a broker I spoke with said nothing much has changed but soon 90% mortgages might be getting much more restrictive. This is potentially advantageous if you are making max offers below this level and others are doing 90%.

one thing i will say is, remember childcare costs when your wife is back at work. we pay about £750 a month childcare.

also car seats, clothes etc for babies.

Cheers. I'm in Edinburgh. I have to confess that I have no idea how the housing market will go. It doesn't seem to be going down (for the few houses that are currently available).

I'm pretty lucky in that my work will give me 9 months off and I plan to use the bulk of that when my wife goes back. Hopefully I have a family member who can help with child care as well but it's not guaranteed.

There were 7 notes of interest in this property and my offer will be subject to selling my flat, so a good chance we wont get it anyway. If we do miss it, it's not the end of the world.

Aye, unreal eh. It's a relatively new policy however I think a number of finance companies are going that way.