You have worked so hard to write this letter, you should probably celebrate first. Okay, celebration complete cause you know that article isn’t gonna write itself.
You know the value of hard work. You might be a writer or a designer – a freelancer just like me. You’re willing to work for free because you know that’s how it goes sometimes. You stare at your computer and create some junk that no one wants to look at, but you’re still proud of yourself.
“That junk is MY junk! I had no formal training in Photoshop, but look what I can do!” You give yourself that extra little pep talk that sometimes we so often need.
You submit to what seems like endless publications hoping you will get noticed. Those editors have some picky guidelines. You’ve actually only submitted to 3 publications, but it took you so damn long to write each one. It doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve been at it for 2 years and still work your day job to keep the lights on. Your day job is a mismatched combination of people you don’t really care for, but you do it anyway.
Your partner supports your decision to be a side hustler. He knows he isn’t easy. He works the overnight shift because that’s all he can find.
You network with other hustlers wondering how they do it. How are they living off their work alone?
You might be creating a YouTube video right now reviewing a makeup product that actually made your face feel like a inflamed mango. Even though your face is flaring up and your boyfriend wants to lick your mango face, you keep pressing on. Maybe next week you’ll get a sample of a vegan product that’ll clear that mango face in no time.
At the end of each day, you take a look at your PayPal account. Okay, so there’s $34.00 in there from the whole week. That’s a whole $34.00 you made this week. That $34.00 is going to go towards that domain you bought a few weeks ago for your own magazine that has exactly 0 subscribers.
Hey, you rock, side hustler. It’s going to get easier. You might as well laugh at yourself along the way because that’s the only way your voice is heard. You are a creative. Other creatives will find you and appreciate your work.
