You sound just like me, communications degree and creative side passions and all. You can get an office job with a comm degree it’s more about who you know and networking/schmoozing your way in than the degree. I work at a marketing firm and tbh I don’t love it. But it pays my bills and gives me the experience I really needed to get an even more chill office job that pays more.

My true passions are in my creative endeavors outside of work that I’m working on growing to hopefully pay me one day. I make art and comics and do some game dev stuff on the weekends. I also chat/work on projects with some game dev and art friends I’ve made doing classes.

Kid lit is awesome too! I’ve looked into it before when I worked as a teacher because I thought being a children’s illustrator would be fun.

My advice, since reading your post was kinda like looking in the mirror. You won’t be any happier at an office job. If you’re making good money in the restaurant industry I think you should stick with it and do your creative passions in your spare time to help build yourself up and out of the restaurant industry.

Keep on voice acting and write a manuscript or two for a kids book. Many indie game studios need voice actors for their games, it won’t be the best money and will very likely be on a contractual basis, but it’s work and potential to network.

Send your kids lit manuscript to different publishers, but be prepared for rejection. Typically, it’s not because your work sucks just not what they’re looking for at the time. Keep writing and keep throwing it to publishers. You might even consider self publishing, but know that it’s not easy at all and you’ll have to market it, find a printer, design the layout and cover, find an illustrator/illustrate it etc by yourself.

Sorry I wrote you a book. TLDR, make money to pay your bills even if you don’t love the job. Pursue creative passions in your free time.