Have you ever thought about taking on a creative side hustle? Recently, I’ve considered doing art commissions. I’ve been having fun improving on old skills and posting drawings online, so why not try and monetize? While this has obvious financial benefits, I’ve also discovered some drawbacks.
Monetary Motivation
With everyday expenses on the rise, it might make sense to try and monetize any available skills that you may have. Creative side hustles are popular and profitable, especially if you’re good at what you do. There are entire podcasts and books about the subject, including The Hustle Economy: Transforming Your Creativity Into a Career.
However, one of the contributors to this book, Nick Douglas, emphasized in a post on lifehacker.com that the choice to monetize always changes your relationship to the activity. In his words, “All the existing stakes are raised, and one big new one piled on top: money.”
The hustle mindset is an addicting one, especially in a world where most people have a device at their fingertips that can instantly connect them to social media. It’s because of this rise in accessible technology that content creators are now a possible full-time job. YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and TikTok users can turn what may have previously been an account for fun into a form of income.
In fact, the estimated worth of the content creator economy is estimated to be around 104.2 billion dollars. Generally, 52% of people who identify as content creators have monetized their content in some way. Clearly, the content creation industry has money to go around. So, why not try and go for it?
I wanted to speak with an active content creator about this so I could get a more recent perspective. I reached out to Paintsie, a cosplayer on TikTok. They have been creating and posting for their growing audience of over 200k followers since 2019. They kindly agreed to talk about their own experiences regarding content creation and why they think that focusing on money hinders your overall experience.
Creating for Yourself
Paintsie has been working on their craft for years, starting in 2019, with their account really gaining popularity in 2020. They focus on creating cosplays with a mix of body paint, costume design, and prop making. In Paintsie’s colorful words, they create with the mantra of “chuck it in the fuck it bucket.”
They’ve been pumping out content starring characters from Bendy and the Ink Machine, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Hazbin Hotel, and more. After chatting with them, I can say with certainty that they’re incredibly passionate about what they do. Recently, they’ve been working to improve existing cosplays using EVA foam. It’s a popular material used by cosplayers to craft costume pieces and props.
I was curious about their own goals with content creation, especially since TikTok had recently decreased its payout towards creators. Right now they are only giving out around 0.02-0.04 cents per 1000 views. Some creators had expressed genuine distress over this change. Many even started pushing patrons or other platforms in an attempt to keep up similar revenue.
Paintsie, however, gave no indication that they were worried about financial gain from the platform. In fact, they didn’t really seem to consider their account as a side hustle.
They work full-time outside of content creation. Although profiting off of some of their videos seemed great, they stated that they primarily created for the sake of creating. They stressed that burnout would happen easier when you change your mentality towards profit, and it’s hard to disagree.
The change in TikTok’s payout system clearly stressed out numerous content creators, and yet here is a cosplayer happily thinking of their next project, excited to show off their progress. I left our call revitalized and passionate about working on my own project. For once, money was far out of my mind.
Hobbies or Side Hustles?
Paintsie gave a refreshing take on content creation as a whole. Rather than getting pulled into the draining cycle of catering their content towards profit, they’ve kept their craft fun. By creating for themselves above all else, they’ve continued making content despite the ups and downs of the TikTok algorithm. It’s an example to follow for aspiring creators who also want to take a crack at the digital space.
In a money-driven world, it’s easy to believe that free time needs to be productive in some way. If you share your creations online, it’s hard not to glance at that follower count and wish for a higher number.
But there are clear mental benefits to allowing your hobbies to stay hobbies! There isn’t stress surrounding finances, including influencer-related taxes, which can become daunting for young creators, no matter the amount. Instead, you can focus on sharing what you’ve made with the world and connecting with people along the way.
Whether it’s cosplay, digital painting, traditional art, cooking, hiking, knitting, or whatever you’re into, make sure to find a balance that works for you. This is your leisure time and you can use it however you see fit. We have some examples of what you can try out if you don’t know where to start. Ultimately, what matters is that you enjoy what you’re doing and stick with it for yourself.
