It's my birthday week and I usually like to do a bit of reflecting on life lessons learned. You know, the proverbial, "let's not go there again!"
This week I'm looking back as I look forward with gratefulness and anticipation. Life is so beautiful and I'm grateful to be where I am, experiencing life with those in my sphere right at this moment with anticipation and joy for the year ahead.
And hey, if I can save a few creatives trouble and heart ache (and financial ache) by sharing a few of my lessons, that will be an amazing birthday gift! There are so many mistakes to make, why make them all yourself?
As my uncle tells me (many times), "wise people learn from other people's mistakes without making them themselves."
I've lacked wisdom in my youth and in a variety of areas; in the area of art and business: I think I've made them all myself 
I guess that means I'm growing. I hope so!
Here are 7 really dumb things I've done in the course of starting my side hustle that I hope you don't make.
- Spending money on a program when you don't know enough about what you want to do.
Don't spend money until you do some research. And don't watch videos by fancy-schmancy marketing gurus when you are a little on the desperate side to make your own hustle soar.
- Not doing research
There's a ton of free research on the internet:
- blogs
- articles -magazines, academic, case studies
- podcasts
- videos (You tube)
Talk to people. A conversation with someone who has "been there and done that" can be tooooons better than research.
Who do you know who is doing something you want to be doing?
-
Ignoring gut feelings
Feelings get a bad rap.
Either people follow their feelings or mutiliate feelings completely. Both extremems are a mistake. Listen to feelings, they are typically the quiet indicator something is off - or on.
If you find yourself getting bored while researching your topic, you may not want to make it your side hustle, regardless of how wonderful others think it is.
- Do something solely for money.
I think I've shared the story of when I got the advertisement, "Can You Write a Simple Sentence...." It's one of the most popular marketing campaigns for this company (which is a million dollar making company).
I was not in a great place in my day job and looking for an escape route. I spent a lot of time working on a skill that, while it helps me now, wasn't the quick escape route the advertisement promised.
Did I ever tell you when I attempted to start a writing business for dermatologists?
Yes, really. It seemed like a really good idea at the time.
Now? Not so much.
Most of us are working in day jobs for 40+ hours a week. These jobs, for most of us-even if we enjoy them- are tiring. Your side hustle, whether you are writing a book, starting a coaching business, designing dog collars or a stationary line- should be something that you look forward to doing, something that is exciting and interesting to you.
If our sole motivation is money or escape, we may not get the results we want.
- Try to figure it all out on your own.
Some people enjoy saying, "I did it all on my own."
Personally, I think this attitude is for the birds.
Not only can having like minded people around you accelerate your journey, it makes the journey of the artpreneur so much more fun and exciting.
We still have to do the work ourselves but it is so fun and invigorating to have a group, a coach, a mentor, etc.
Once you have something you want to do, hiring coach or participating in a mastermind program can accelerate your speed exponentially.
- Isolate behind a computer screen.
Another not good idea. Many of us who do side hustles, art hobbies, etc. etc. aren't don't have family or friends who have similar interest.
No big deal. There's a lot of people like you, even if you can't see them in your physical circles of influence. Join online groups. Search Meetup.com If you can't find a group you are looking for, start a group you want to be a part of.
The important thing is to not do things on your own. Be around like minded people who you can help and encourage and who can encourage and help you.
This can be either a virtual or in-person community.
- Think you can make a full time living in 6 months.
A few people successfully turn their side hustle into a full time income in a very short amount of time.
Most of us don't.
It's a process of learning and unlearning, figuring out what fits and what needs to be tossed.
Working on a side hustle is not terribly unlike creating the perfect recipe. It takes time, adjustments, experimentation, learning and changing things up before everything comes together just right.
I've Done All of These. How About You?
I can write about all of these because I've done all of 'em. Every. Single. One.
In the process of experimenting and figuring things out, I hope I've grown and become more patient- with myself and with others.
How about you? You may not want to share your mistakes publicly on a blog, but you might get the question from a young creative, looking to learn the ropes in a busy and overwhelming world.
Maybe your lesson could help someone else save time and money and frustration in their artpreneur journey
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great week!
The post The 7 (Dumb) Things to Avoid Doing When You Start Your Art Side Hustle appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.