I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to find/work on a side hustle. And it’s followed the ridiculous cycle of: start a Creative Thing – wonder how I can monetise The Thing – obsess over how other people do The Thing – hate The Thing – start a new Creative Thing. I realise that cycle would look better as an Infogram, but my interest in making (and trying to monetise) Infograms only lasted about three weeks.

It’s mentally exhausting and I’m currently in the position where I need to find a new full time day job. For the first time in twenty five years I don’t have to fit it around another person. I don’t have to think about matching up shifts with a partner, or work around the school run. I don’t need to take anything close by and settle for an okay “second income”.

My work experience now puts me in a wage bracket that my little household could survive on. My survival/trauma response still kicks in though. Spreadsheets have been made. Income combined with a side hustle…well, it’s the difference between just paying my bills and maybe getting a few days by the sea.

However a new job with sufficient income will mean adding a few hours to my day. I’m tired just thinking about a side hustle. I didn’t even have the time to continue with my degree. My hat is off to any single parent that can work full time and have a side business while maintaining their sanity!

For the first time in years I’m looking at creativity just for me and not with any selling/branding/marketing/content creating in mind. I’m going back to my first love and picking up my camera.

Does the world need another photographer? Nope. But I need to do this.

I’m not sure how it will affect my blog. I’d like to chart my progress here and maybe use this blog as a way of studying photography and taking part in challenges if I can get back to posting on a regular basis! I’m intending to close my Etsy shop. I can already feel the “might list the odd good photo on there…” mentality kicking in. And that is not healthy for me.

Any photographs I post on here will be available to use with attribution. But I will post good as well as bad pictures. Take that as a gentle warning.

Lainey x