u/SeaBuilder9067

Hey r/IWantOut,

For the past two years I’ve been living independently in Bucharest, making my living as a freelance composer for theater productions. It’s been workable, but the income is unstable and the work is emotionally exhausting. On top of that, I’m increasingly frustrated with Romania’s infrastructure, from pollution and corruption, the general sense that things are moving in the wrong direction.

About me:

21, Romanian citizen, currently enrolled in university (music)

Self-employed as a composer/sound designer for theater

No coding background, but two years of hands-on experience building AI automations, workflows, and tool ecosystems — I’d describe myself as a serious AI practitioner on the no-code/low-code side

Fluent in Romanian and English

What I’m looking for:

The title says Belgium but anywhere in Western Europe; the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, ideally somewhere quieter rather than a major capital. Good quality of life, clean air, functional institutions.

Questions:

1. What visa/residency routes make sense for a self-employed creative/AI freelancer from Romania? (I’m EU citizen so free movement applies, but curious about what to actually prepare)

2. Are there specific cities or regions that are good fits for the kind of work I do?

3. Any Romanians who’ve made this move and want to share their experience?

Hey, looking for some outside perspective here.

I’m 21, based in Romania, and for the past two years I’ve been making my living as a freelance composer for theater productions. It’s been a real career, I’ve had paying clients, built a professional network, delivered actual projects, but the income is volatile, the ceiling feels low, and honestly I’m burned out on music as an identity.

The thing is, alongside the music work I’ve been quietly building something else. No coding background whatsoever, but I’ve spent two years deep in AI tools: building automations, workflow systems, agent pipelines, tool ecosystems. I can set up and manage complex AI infrastructure, connect services, design logic flows, and actually think critically about what these systems are doing. It’s the work that energizes me in a way composing no longer does.

The problem: I don’t have a traditional tech resume, a CS degree, or even GitHub repos to show. What I have is hands-on experience and a portfolio of personal/freelance projects that don’t fit neatly into any job description.

What I’m trying to figure out: is “AI automation specialist” or “no-code AI consultant” a real career path, or is it too early/niche? How do you present this kind of work to employers or clients without a conventional background? Would you go freelance first to build credibility, or try to get a junior role somewhere? Are there fields where this skillset is actually valued right now?

Genuinely open to hearing what paths people have carved out from non-traditional starting points.