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

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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.