Side Hustling (Probably) Won't Save You
Episode 4 out now, plus an essay on pivoting (and knitting)
Hey crybaby,
Monday is starting to become the best day of the week! I can’t think of a better way to start the day than waking up to a new Cry About it Episode in your feed (you’re welcome😉).
In this episode, Lauren and I talk about how we’ve pivoted career directions, dealing with creative uncertainty, the struggle with being creative under the pressures of capitalism and re-exploring our childhood dreams through careers in early adulthood. Stay until the end to hear what we’re manifesting for ourselves creatively in the years to come!
As always, happy listening! 🎧
On pivoting (and briefly, knitting)
Okay, so you’ve decided you want to do a career 180° or switch up your life’s direction. Now what?
We’ve all been there. And if you’ve gotten out of that place, it’s probably because you’ve found out the answer is as simple as do something.
You might be saying “Well, DUH, Nthabiseng. Thanks for the profound advice🙄.” But let me explain.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve let the fear of the unknown paralyze me before I got started doing something. I’ve lost count of how many excuses I’ve come up with to justify my inaction when I no longer had the safety net of being in college to inform my next steps. On came the paralysis, the second-guessing, the age-old line of thinking that maybe my previous career/job/path wasn’t THAT bad, even though I knew I felt misaligned.
If any of the above resonates with you, please let me be the one to lovingly tell you: SNAP OUT OF IT!
How? The only way to get yourself out of the paralysis you’re feeling is by doing something. It can be one thing, like deciding to sign up for a new course or scheduling a meeting with your manager to discuss your options, but YOU have to put fire to the flame and start. To reach that nebulous future state that you dream of, that you’re SURE in your bones has got to be better than what you’re feeling now, you have to start by doing.
For me, that thing was making chunky yarn bags.
I learned how to make these bags after watching a video on Youtube. That video, and subsequent bag, turned into a short stint creating and selling knitted bags. I made a little money, and it doesn’t hurt that I ended up with a cute bag, or three added to my wardrobe🤭. More than that, though, in the short-term what it really gave me was a new challenge and skill to cultivate. Where there were no steps before, now, I had clear steps laid out ahead of me:
Learn how to hand knit
Learn different knitting patterns
Attempt first bag
Assess which knitting pattern works for different bag styles…
You get the picture. But before I made the decision to make knitting bags my something, I had the excuse of not knowing what to do next.
The bag endeavor also knocked the dust off some creative parts of me that haven't surfaced since I was a little girl sketching new clothing designs for my Bratz dolls.
More than anything, I gave myself the opportunity to exercise my creative muscle and gain a deeper sense of appreciation for my own artistic output. Through that practice, it reminded me of my love of all things creative and made it clear to me that I want to build a life with creativity at the center. And while short lived, this project motivated me to work on creative pursuits that foster community and make other people feel seen and heard. The clarity I got after doing something eventually led to my next creative undertaking, Cry About It!
Doing something doesn’t mean you’ll love every attempt you make, just like I didn’t love every bag I made. But with each attempt, you’ll find yourself inching towards the life or career you’re dreaming of.
If you’re not in that camp and you have your next steps ready, kudos! I hope to join you in feeling rooted in certainty one day. For right now though, I’ll keep trying my hand at things I enjoy and charting my path step by step. Throwing the proverbial spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, if you will. And I know it’ll pan out for me.