All the Ways I Could Make Money
The Tryping My Best Moment of the Week #52
I am continuing on with the subscription donation project. For September, I am continuing on with the Entertainment Community Fund for the organization. It’s a fund that supports workers in the entertainment industry, including those who are affected by the current strikes. And, as we know, the studios are ensuring the strikes keep going.
If you are new here (welcome!) or need a refresher, you can always find more details of the project on my About page. The About page was recently updated so it is so fresh and so clean clean. Also, if you want to be a matching donor, let me know.
This newsletter means a lot to me. If you are connecting with the work at all, please consider clicking the heart button and/or leaving a comment. I know this edition is for all you incredible paid subscribers, but I am always happy if you want to share it.
And, as always, I thank you so much for your extra support.
Hello friends. As my Dad would say (and does say to me every Wednesday), a happy hump day to you.
As I continue to be on this unemployment/employment journey, I am finding myself moving farther and farther away from wanting a conventional 9-5 and more towards something akin to freelancing. Now, there are some obvious downsides to freelancing (health insurance stuff, hustling, hoping you have enough projects lined up, etc.) but there are also some obvious upsides (finding work that is fulfilling [hopefully], doing projects that you enjoy [hopefully], keeping control of your schedule, etc.). I am still, of course, looking for more conventional jobs because apparently, we all need money to live. But as I keep looking, I also spend a lot of time thinking about other ways I could make money.
So, this edition of the Tryping My Best Moment of the Week is a list (WOW), a list of all the ways to make money that I have thought about or has been presented to me and a rating that represents the likelihood that I will actually attempt to pursue those in some way.
Here we go:
Welding - 1 out of 5 Flashdances likely to pursue
Welding always stays on my list because when I was in undergrad, I took a stage craft class and we had a little lesson on wielding. When it came my turn to try I, apparently, did a great job wielding my little line for two seconds. The professor asked me if I had ever done it before and I said that I had not. It was that moment of encouragement that keeps this potential job always on my list. But will I pursue it? Likely not. I’m terrible in the heat.Helping people write their career/artistic/life bios - 7 out of 7 fake degrees likely to pursue
I’m already doing this a little bit. I helped a friend with hers and found that I really enjoyed it. It makes me happy to help people distill their life and/or work values in ways that are creative and represent them. Also, it’s a great way to show a person how freaking cool they are. So, I’m keeping it on the list of “services” that I could/do provide.Professional Hype-Human - 2.5 out of 3 handcrafted signs likely to pursue
This is another thing I already do to a certain extent. But I am rating it a little lower simply because I think there’s no way to beat my friend Sam Radd as a hype human. So if you need one professionally, I would send you her way first. I’m more than happy to be back-up in this case.Tripping over a billionaire - 40 out of 100 Scrooge McDucks likely to pursue
This is a higher number because I would love for this to be a thing. But it is also less than half likely because I also don’t know what tripping over a billionaire would get me? I feel like if I trip over them, then I am probably at fault for something and may end up owing them money which is…the opposite of the point. Also, logistically, I probably need to be hanging out in different areas of town if I want this to happen. I’m keeping it as a dream though.
Side Note: If, like Scrooge McDuck, you dove into a pool full of COINS, you would absolutely break your neck.Baking - 13 out of 22 off-set spatulas likely to pursue
I love to bake. I do really LOVE it. And it is for precisely that reason that I do not want to turn it into a business. I am totally available to do a cake here and there but, at the end of the day, I still want to love it. This is not a hobby I want to seriously monetize.Being Cool - 900 out of 1000 Ray-Bans likely to pursue
Much like “Tripping over a billionaire,” this is one of those options that I don’t quite know the logistics of but since I figure I’m already pretty cool, we’re most of the way there.List Making - 8 out of 10 checkmarks likely to pursue
I do not know how I would do this for other people but I would absolutely do it in a heartbeat—a hobby I would 100% monetize.A 10-minute Play Writing Course - 13.9 auditions out of 15 likely to pursue
This is something I have thought about for a long time actually. I think I would be a good teacher/mentor in general and I think I have the knowledge and possibly the spark of an outline to make this happen. Also, if I could make it a virtual course and earn some passive income…I say yes.Astronaut - -2 out of a 1,000,000,000 lightyears likely to pursue
Okay, no one has ever suggested this to me and I have literally never thought about doing this as a job but I just want to reiterate SPACE IS SCARY.Niché Life Guides - 25.5 out of 25 pieces of advice you did not ask for
Another something I already have such fun doing. I love sourcing info from a community of people. I love doing research on ways to approach something. I love setting people up for success wherever they are on their journeys. And then I love sharing the community knowledge back with the community so we all can benefit. I think my commission rate for these would have to be quite high to actually make them a worthwhile money pursuit but it’s in my brainbox and if I can figure it out, I will do it.Queer Pirate Costumed Person - 7.5 out of 9 Blackbeard’s Guns likely to pursue
Look, my closet is ready okay?? And I am too. I don’t know where we’re going and who we will be costumed for but, you know, send me a message in a bottle and I’ll be there as soon as I can run through the sand.Home Organization - 20 out of 30 Home Edits likely to pursue
Another thing I absolutely love to do but something I think I would mostly continue to love to do if I was doing it for people I know or friends-of-friends. This is not a line item for my business plan by any means. Making labels is so fun though.Errand Buddy - 6 out 6 CVS’ likely to pursue
Running errands with someone feels like one of the greatest joys of life. This is getting full marks because even though I don’t know how I would make money from it, this is a volunteer activity I jump at at every opportunity.Writing & Editing - 110 out of 100 Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine Pens in my hair likely to pursue
Editing is something I already do and another thing I really enjoy. I like to help people clarify their message and most of all, I like to help them develop their writer’s voice. But I really enjoy doing it for personal projects above all else. I like the personal connection of that.
For writing, I feel like, since you are reading this newsletter, you don’t need an explanation for this one so I’ll just say, I keep pushing to turn my moniker of “Writer with a Day Job” to simply “Writer.”Professional TV/Movie Recapper - 60 out of 75 JVNs recapping Sister Act 2 likely to pursue
If you want to be nitpicky, this is technically synopsis writing which I have done (and would do again) but I think about this more in terms of how Olaf recaps Frozen in Frozen II. That is the funniest part of the movie, fight me, and I think I could also do that. Plus, I’m not a snowman so I won’t melt at any point in a recap. I might sweat like hell and complain about it but I won’t, physically, melt.
W O W. If I could make money from all the things I want to make money from, I would be doing alright. For now, I’ll just keep taking stock of things that I enjoy and let that push me forward.
What are interesting ways you have thought about making money? Comment so I (ahem…we) can get more ideas!
So, until next week, remember whatever thing you think of to make money from is probably not as weird as the way some people make money, and keep on tryping your best.