Passion Project

Ever dreamed of making money out of your creative hobby? Anna Behrmann didn’t know where to start, so she sought help from the experts

How many of us have thought about turning our hobby into a side hustle that makes a little money and may even turn into a full-time job? Soap making, crafting, baking, writing – is it possible to make these things pay? And, with a full-time job, how do you find the time?

I have been turning these things over in my mind for some time now, and watching others with the courage and determination go for it. As a full-time writer, I would like to launch a blog and podcast about faith and spirituality in the modern world. This is partly because I want to interview people and learn more about their religion – or lack of it – but also because I’d love to put my own stamp on my creative project. And, who knows, maybe it will open up new doors in my career. I have even come up with a name – The Life and Soul – but have been fretting over theoretical details and taken zero steps towards making it a reality.

I go to see Philiy Page, who runs Creative Women International, an inspiring network for women in the creative industries. As a mentor and author of the book The Business Of Creativity (Balboa Press, £11.95), she is curious about what has been holding me back from launching my enterprise.

Perfect doesn’t exist

I tell her that I’ve I felt as though I needed to spend months preparing and strategising before ‘unveiling’ my project. I’ve held back from doing even this, because I worried that it would not be to a high enough standard – that I had to produce something polished and professional, and this kept putting me off.