The Benefits of a Side-Hustle
Freelancing can be deeply liberating. The Internet has made it even more so - opening you up to markets and opportunities you never dreamed of. Your ability to build revenue streams is as wide-open as the amount of work you want to put in to it. It's about hustle. It's about work - so what is the actual scope of that freedom? What does the freedom of a side-hustle actually mean for your life?
If you must be able to travel, the goal is to build your revenues so it doesn’t matter where you are. When working online, it doesn’t make a difference if you’re down the block or around the world. Your hours worked will be your hours worked. If you aren’t tied to a specific location, then you are open to taking more creative work.
A day-job limits the jobs you're able to take, and forces you to plan your creative pursuits around your job to get your bills paid. The side-hustle expands the jobs you're able to take, and you can expand and contract the work you're doing depending on your own financial goals.
Your side-hustle can allow you to take the creative jobs that come your way. It drastically alters the calculus you have to do when determining whether to take a contract. For example, say you have a great serving job in the city. You'll be less likely to want to leave to take an acting contract. If you don't have that job, you don't have to worry about losing it to take a contract. Your side-hustle can see you taking more creative gigs than you might have otherwise.
Work Anywhere
I work primarily in theatre as an actor and director. Theatre is a localized art, and as such, I regularly travel around the United States working on these productions. I wouldn't trade the ability to travel and work around the country for anything. However, it does make it hard to hold down a day-job. Which is what led me to working on side-hustles. The side-hustle allows the freedom of movement that this nomadic existence calls for.If you must be able to travel, the goal is to build your revenues so it doesn’t matter where you are. When working online, it doesn’t make a difference if you’re down the block or around the world. Your hours worked will be your hours worked. If you aren’t tied to a specific location, then you are open to taking more creative work.
A day-job limits the jobs you're able to take, and forces you to plan your creative pursuits around your job to get your bills paid. The side-hustle expands the jobs you're able to take, and you can expand and contract the work you're doing depending on your own financial goals.
Your side-hustle can allow you to take the creative jobs that come your way. It drastically alters the calculus you have to do when determining whether to take a contract. For example, say you have a great serving job in the city. You'll be less likely to want to leave to take an acting contract. If you don't have that job, you don't have to worry about losing it to take a contract. Your side-hustle can see you taking more creative gigs than you might have otherwise.
Pay is an important part of the calculus when deciding to take a contract. However, the size of the paycheck doesn't need to loom so large in those calculations with a proper side-hustle.
Your side-hustle can easily wrap itself around your creative schedule in any way you need. Your creative schedule can be very lean, and it can be very busy. If you have a busy time coming up, you can schedule your work around that. If you have a lot of extra time you can work ahead. Or you can find some additional side-hustles for that week to help get you a little ahead financially.
There could be times as a performer your character doesn’t come in until the very end of something. Or has scenes at the very beginning, but then nothing again for the rest of the play. Backstage, you could log some work hours on projects and effectively pull double duty as you work in both places. The same can be true of musicians as they play at a festival. Just remember that your side-hustle is supposed to support the art, not distract from it.
Can Work at Anytime
Freelancing offers great flexibility in what defines work hours. In general, the kinds of work you find over the Internet will allow you to set your own schedule. So long as you meet your deadlines, your clients will not worry about you completing the work at 3am on a Tuesday.Your side-hustle can easily wrap itself around your creative schedule in any way you need. Your creative schedule can be very lean, and it can be very busy. If you have a busy time coming up, you can schedule your work around that. If you have a lot of extra time you can work ahead. Or you can find some additional side-hustles for that week to help get you a little ahead financially.
There could be times as a performer your character doesn’t come in until the very end of something. Or has scenes at the very beginning, but then nothing again for the rest of the play. Backstage, you could log some work hours on projects and effectively pull double duty as you work in both places. The same can be true of musicians as they play at a festival. Just remember that your side-hustle is supposed to support the art, not distract from it.
Conclusion
Side-hustles are not always going to be easy, and they are definitely going to be work. However, the liberation they offer away from a day-job are deeply rewarding. The chance and freedom to pursue your art and build your artistic career are vital to living the life you desire.
For more information about side-hustles and how they impact your life as an artist, check out my book: A Life in Art: Building Side-Hustles to Empower Your Life as an Artist
Comments
Post a Comment