VaporDaddy- You know it is a crime to continue to work at a job that doesn't feed your soul. You could die next week- what would your tombstone say- he paid the bills? I'm not saying don't be practical, especially with kids to support, but you shouldn't give away so much of your life to something that doesn't make you happy. I was a department head at the college for 5 years, and I finally said enough because I was so bored, and I went back to teaching full-time. I could have stayed in that job and made more money, but I felt like my life was passing me by. It was a risk to make a change, but that's the fun part of life!
My husband went to culinary school and worked as a chef for a few years with his own catering company- that is how we met, I worked for him! He ended up being an apprentice for a master ice sculptor, and now he has his own ice-sculpting business which he loves and it pays well. So I say go for it- or as Joseph Campbell said, "follow your bliss!"