This has been a big month for me — not only is my first picture book officially out, but as of this past Friday, I’m also officially qualified to facilitate the efforts of a team of folks developing software according to a method called Scrum.

That’s what I do (part of it, anyway) when I’m not writing children’s books. Most authors and illustrators I know also either have some other career that brings balance (financial, psychological, or otherwise) to their lives, or else used to have some other career while getting started in the book business.

Just off the top of my head, I know one who teaches college chemistry, one who does newspaper graphics, a public school administrator, and a whole lot of lawyers.

If you’re an author or illustrator with another career, what is it? If you’re now down to just one career, what was the last one you left behind?