I was struggling to pay my rent but my creative side hustle paid for my home for a year – it costs me nothing to run
A WOMAN has revealed how she was able to pay for a year’s worth of rent thanks to her creative side hustle.
Portsmouth-based illustrator, Angela Chick, sells cards on greetings card marketplace, thortful, selling over 85,000 cards to date.
Angela explains that the royalties from selling her cars, “Have been a really great top up of money for me.”
Having worked as a full-time illustrator, Angela now works on licensing, commissions and teaching in Higher Education, as well as fulfilling her creative side hustle with thortful.
“I love the flexibility that working with thortful provides,” she says.
“It’s hard where there is so much competition now, but it’s great to be able to help people connect when they need it.
“Working online and teaching online means I can make my own schedule, and I love this.
“It’s so important to me that I have time to get out and about to feel inspired.”
Angela explains that she has been burnt in the past supplying to larger companies, losing out on over £22,000.
However, she claims that by switching to thortful she has been able to keep more of the profits herself.
“I put my designs up for approval (with the company) and the money ticks in,” she says.
“My cards are geared towards friendship and with many mental health themed cards, they were a great way to let people know you were thinking of them in tricky times.
“It’s really helped me out during the quieter times in my business and I’m so excited to be able to put more of a focus on it.
“Now I won’t be spreading myself so thin trying to design all my own products for my shop as well.”
Side hustles in numbers
Based on new research from Finder, an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income.
Among those aged 18-23, 68 percent have a side hustle in 2024.
Those aged 24-42 aren’t far behind, with 65 per cent having an additional source of income.
Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40 percent of those aged 43-54 having one.
Whereas 23 percent of people aged 55-73 and just 7 per cent of those aged 74 and over are earning extra cash this way.
A spokesperson from thortful adds, “These stories are what make thortful so special, and what drives us to keep pushing boundaries and supporting our creator’s creative journeys.
“We wouldn’t be able to succeed without their unique talents and we can’t thank the community enough.”