After we had my first, money was tight but we were making do. I stayed at home with the kids while Matt worked, because we couldn't afford daycare. My super anxiety (that's right, I'm making it my superpower) kept me from going out and finding a job, but we were doing ok. The bills were paid, we had what we needed...
Then I found out I was pregnant with number two. Kaya was completely unexpected, and though she was a happy surprise, we had no idea how we were going to stretch one income to cover a family of 5 (don't forget about the stepdaughter!). Still battling my anxiety, and not having a sitter, I had no idea what I could do to help. Seriously, the thought of going out and working with people made me totally shut down and have a panic attack. No, it isn't rational, but that's how my brain works.
I sucked it up and went and applied everywhere I could think of, save fast food employment. I handed over carefully laid-out resumes, filled out countless applications, and put on my nicest outfits for job interviews. I remember when my dad passed away and my (might as well have been) uncle told me the wisest words I had ever heard, "If you can't make it, fake it." Well, I faked it. I pretended to be the most well-rounded adult, one who could handle any situation, and had every interviewer tell me I was perfect for the job - they would call me in a few days.
No one ever called. I didn't get a single job offer in those 4 months of searching. Hand-in-hand with my anxiety goes fear of rejection, so I didn't handle that too well. I became depressed, and decided I couldn't do it. There was no way I could handle being shot down one more time, and with my growing belly I didn't think anyone in their right mind would hire me anyway.
Through this, I had been blogging, trying to work through my fears as a parent and doing what I could to connect with the outside world. Matt was being really supportive and told me, "find something you love to do, and then figure out how to make money doing that." I love to write. I love to connect with people. I love to talk about my kids. So that's when I decided to monetize my blog, and began to make money from it.
It was slow at first, and is still not up to par with the big name blogs, but this is my little income earner - helping me bring what I can to the table. My end goal is to write things that people want to read, and give all of you a reason to come back and visit me often.
If you could turn what you love into a way to make money, what would it be?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
