The Hustle Economy, edited by Jason Oberholtzer and illustrated by Jessica Hagy, is an anthology of insights and advice for creative entrepreneurs by creative entrepreneurs, representing a wide spectrum of artists and makers.
If you believe, as I do, that we’re entering a new era of work, freed from the factory, yet even more connected by the internet, and you do creative work of any kind, then it’s helpful to have a guide…and this is a good start.
The whole book is great, but here are a few of my favorite insights:
- Just make good work and put it out there
- Over time, a creator convinces people that their work is consistently good, enough so that their next piece of work will be worth betting on
- It’s really rewarding when you can help people who are a little behind you in their career. Not selfishly, not to “earn points,” but because you genuinely feel they deserve more opportunities than they have right now”
- Pick your collaborators by their talent, creative ambition, and ability to work with others
- The typical journey is part willingness to get by with less at times, part luck, and part grace – in different proportions for different people
- Being involved in the hustle isn’t about arriving anywhere – it’s about being “in the mix”
- When you aren’t focused in one area, building specific, marketable experience and skill, you are cultivating another broader skill: getting good at getting good at things
- …embrace that which motivates you to action rather than that which taxes your energy so much that its toxic energy reaches into other areas
- Invest in yourself in concrete ways…learn new tangible skills
- You’re always still learning
- Make room for the next bigger, better thing
- Surrender is not an option
- Every chore can be a creative exercise
- Just. Keep. Going
A few tips:
- Spend at least 15 minutes making something new today
- Figure out a natural first starting point. Want to write a book? Write a chapter.
- Now is the time to articulate what you want
- Reach out to others, and reply with generosity when others reach out to you
- Start working on something that is worth working on
It’s a collection intended to inspire. And it’s filled with Jessica Hagy’s illustrations, which are great for opening your mind to a different way of thinking about work. I hope you check it out and it gives you a kick in the ass to bring something new into the world.