Andrew Tsao left a six-figure tech job to become an artist. His income fell to under $25,000. He relied on Medicaid and creative budgeting. Now he's returning to Taiwan.
Alpha Score of 57 reflects moderate overall profile with moderate momentum, moderate value, moderate quality, moderate sentiment.
Andrew Tsao left a six-figure product manager job at a healthcare startup after a 2020 layoff. His income fell to under $25,000 a year. He now works as a life coach and sold his first four paintings in July.
Tsao, 34, moved to Brooklyn after college with a one-way ticket and no job. He spent years in B2B sales and tech, earning over $100,000. The layoff pushed him to start coaching early-stage founders. That shift cut his income sharply.
He had savings and a 401(k) from his tech years. But the loss of financial stability forced him to change habits. He stopped ordering delivery, took the subway instead of Uber, and used the Culture Pass for free museum access. Rent for his share of a two-bedroom was about $1,300 a month. Groceries ran $150 a month.
His art supplies came mostly from friends or found on Brooklyn stoops. He paid $12 for ink bottles and $38 for Posca markers.
Tsao qualified for Medicaid after his income dropped. Through the federal program, he started weekly therapy at a Flatbush health center. He also got physical therapy for chronic shoulder pain. “From a health level, it was the most abundant I had ever felt,” he said. “The change in affordability didn't make me feel more constrained. Actually, it made me feel like I had more options.”
He began painting again after a psychedelic session in 2022. His mixed-media work explores ancestry and identity. The exhibition, “The Art of Surrender,” ran in July at a Bushwick café. The owners did not take a commission.
Tsao moved back to Taiwan on August 5 to complete mandatory military service. He said he will miss the city's pizza, diversity, and “the little pockets of magic.”
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