I used to think side gigs were a sellout until I saw my neighbor's pottery setup

For years I told myself teaching was my calling and anything else was just a distraction. Then my neighbor Karen let me see her garage studio where she sells handmade mugs on the weekends. She made $4,200 last year from that little hobby and she still teaches piano during the week. It hit me that she wasn't giving up her day job, she was just adding a layer of joy on top of it. Now I'm sketching out plans for a small plant stand business because I know I can keep my classroom and still do something that feels like mine. Has anyone else here had a moment where they realized their day job and side thing can actually live together?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_jenkins11h ago

Saying you "kept your classroom" is selling it a BIT short. That pottery money is nice but try doing that on top of grading papers and lesson planning for thirty kids every night. I know a teacher who started selling bread from her kitchen on weekends and she burned out in three months because she was up until midnight baking. The plant stand business sounds good but you gotta be REAL about how much time your day job actually takes. That classroom work doesn't stop at 3pm.

morgan.rose7h ago

My cousin tried the whole side hustle thing while teaching middle school and lasted exactly one semester. She was selling those fancy decorated sugar cookies on Etsy and ended up having a full breakdown in the faculty lounge over a batch of burnt icing.

kelly63810h ago

Wait, you mean grading 30 essays doesn't leave me time to hand-throw mugs by moonlight?