My Journey

My Journey of Starting Over More Than Once

From Kitchen Porter to Artist: My Journey of Starting Over (More Than Once)By Iren Puj

Hi, I’m Iren Puj. I grew up in an artist family in Gyula, Hungary, and studied painting at the University of Timisoara, Faculty of Art in Romania. Art has always been part of who I am—it was never just a hobby or career path; it was my language, my therapy, my joy.

After university, I was lucky enough to work as a paintress from my studio in Hungary. Life was simple, focused, and creative. Then, everything changed. A few months after meeting my partner, we made a big decision—we moved to London in search of a better future. We had just enough savings to cover a few months, and a friend helped us find a room to rent.

We arrived in London on July 6, 2007. Our first home needed serious cleaning, and even then, it didn’t stay liveable for long thanks to our flatmates. Within two weeks, we found jobs at a restaurant—me as a kitchen porter, and my partner making pizzas. I was devastated. After years of studying art, I felt lost and humiliated. Was this what I came here for?

Still, I pushed on. I took a second job handing out leaflets, and after 8 months, an old manager offered me a supervisor role at a café. I didn’t speak much English and had serious doubts, but I took the job anyway. Ten months later, the café closed and I found myself job hunting again. I quickly landed a waiter job and was promoted to team leader within 3 months—but I still felt like something was missing.

Then came an unexpected twist. I applied for a housekeeping job, and the woman who called me said she wasn’t going to hire me for that—but she had something else in mind. She invited me for an interview, and to my surprise, it was for a nursery assistant role. They hired me on the spot because of my background in art and teaching.

I barely spoke the language, but I was determined. I learned fast. Within three months, I was offered a room leader position. But eventually, I realised I needed something different—something more flexible and fulfilling. So, I took a part-time nanny job.

That was the first time since moving to the UK that I had time to paint again. I even rented an art studio and spent my mornings painting, my afternoons nannying. It was the perfect balance—until it wasn’t. Financially, it became too difficult to maintain the studio, so I let painting go again. I continued working as a nanny for the next seven years.

I loved working with children and helping them grow into confident young people. Then, at 31, I became a mum myself. Our daughter Diana was born in December 2015—our best Christmas present ever.

After she was born, I became a registered childminder so I could stay home with her while earning an income. Once she started nursery, I returned to nannying, which gave us more flexibility. When she turned four, my friend and I launched Little Star School Club, an after-school activity club. Diana was with me every day, and we made the decision to home educate her.

Home education was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It taught me patience, adaptability, and presence. Most of all, it gave me years of precious time with my daughter that I will always treasure. We continued learning together until she turned nine.

In December, we moved to a beautiful village in Surrey. Diana joined a wonderful school where she is thriving—and I finally returned to painting at 41.

I’m still working three jobs in childcare, but I’m happy to finally return to my art—and I hope my paintings will bring warmth and joy into many homes.

I’m sharing this story because behind every photo or job title is a real person. I’ve been a cleaner, a kitchen porter, a nanny, a business owner, a mother — and now, I’m an artist again.

Our lives don’t always follow a straight path. Sometimes we fall, pause, start over. And that’s okay. Because the truth is, it’s never too late to return to who you are.