When I arrive at work on a Monday and my colleagues ask me how my weekend was, it makes me feel bad. How come? It might have something to do with me bingeing RuPaul‘s all while attempting to eat the cheapest pizza on Domino‘s delivery menu horizontally.
Sure, my saucy one liner vocabulary is now golden (thank you, sweet sassy angel Visage) but that time could’ve been spent kicking life goals. You know what other people can achieve within that time frame? A side hustle. Yes, we get that the prospect of starting something up, especially on top of your existing workload, can be overwhelming – but there are certain side gigs that you can materialise within a weekend.
Plus, they’ll give your routine the shakeup you’re craving. It’s nice to put your energy into another outlet regardless, no? A side hustle could be just what you need to keep you focused creatively in other areas.
MAKE USE OF YOUR OLD GEAR
What do Nicole Warne, Sophia Amoruso and Jessica Stein all have in common? Besides all being household names / babes, they all got to where they are today by selling stuff they no longer wanted.
Whether you wanna go a la Sophia and flog your stuff on eBay, or would rather start off more traditional like Nicole and Jessica did at the markets, there aren’t any real start-up costs to this one, and therefore no excuse not to move ahead.
It’s kinda neat giving old things new life by being creative with how you merchandise them with other pieces at the market, or how you photograph and present them to add new appeal. Considering the goods would just be sitting in a box somewhere or on a rack collecting dust, it’s a win-win all ’round.
Check Tanayah Tooze below who works at a vintage store to keep her creative side in check 24/7.
Having something crack-a-lacking on the side can help you focus on what’s most important to you, or introduce an entirely new passion into your life.
Clothes not your jam? Go ham on old furniture (it’s insane what re-upholstery can do) or literally just get creative with kitchen products. That old tinned soup can? Perfect to put plants in, I bet.
USE YOUR SKILLS FOR THE GREATER GOOD
Everyone is good at something, but not everyone shares that with the world. Becoming a mentor, coach, guest lecturer, advisor, what have you, is one of the most personally satisfying and rewarding things you can do, where both you and those learning all benefit.
For example, when you guest teach a uni class later to a room full of people who look up to you and aspire to be in the same position as you, it puts things in perspective and makes you appreciate your 9-5 even more.
The cool thing here? Given you’re already really good at something, chances are you know the people who would benefit from your help within your own networks. Reach out and put the wheels in place.
GET YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF THE MASSES
Whether you actually want to be an actor or not, there’s something really exhilarating about playing a character of any kind. It enables you to mash up the life you already live with the life of whoever you’re playing for the day / week / month. The same thing goes for modelling, really. We’re not asking you to hit up NIDA and take an acting course(although if you’re keen, go for it) or go put a portfolio together.
The fact of the matter is, every brand, show, movie and whatnot has a particular thing they’re looking for.
For example, a kitchenware brand might need a redhead, size 12, 156cm tall to model a particular campaign. A TV show might need a stocky male that projects what their main character will look like in 20 years. A lot of the time, they don’t require the actual skill, however, should you jump into this area there’s no limits to what you could learn.
What I’m trying to say is that the way you look (even if that doesn’t fit into the conventional standards of the modelling industry or Hollywood) is exactly what someone has been looking for in their casting call or brief. Work it. How, you ask?
There’s a little thing called StarNow. Give it a go. Can’t hurt. Who knows? Acting / modelling could be the creative outlet you’ve been craving. It sure worked for b-ball player / model, Tatyanna Dumas.
#Goals and all that, am I right?
BUILD THOSE ‘GRAM FOLLOWERS
Hear me out – I’m not asking you to build an Instagram that’s overflowing with irrelevant ~positive affirmations~ underneath green juice selfies. However, if that’s your ~vibe~ then more power to you. You know why?
Because we can whinge about “influencers” until the cowhide clutches comes home but truth of the matter is, these people are actually living their best lives. With an epic online presences comes opportunities in the shape of travel, events, meeting new people and experiencing things you never thought you would.
We recommend finding a niche and moving forward from there. If it’s something you’re passionate about it’ll come super naturally to you, and Instagram has (finally) made it simple no navigate multiple accounts. Use hashtags and start getting gratification that’s not necessarily involved with your appearance or even money. Maybe it’s memes. Maybe it’s architecture.
Whatever it is, sometimes mashing up two passions is the way to go, especially if you don’t wanna get complacent with the life your living. It happens to the best of us. So what if shaking things up comes complementary with coin? I, for one, welcome the thought.
Feel inspired by seeing how DJ / Naturopath Sam Lando below made – as the Spice Girls one said- two become one.
Besides, we hear RuPaul’s Season 10 is still a while off.
You’ve got some time to kill.
