A spotlight on side hustles: Photography

Images: Arron Watson-McNab (@facesplaceslaces)

"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."  We've all heard that saying, right? Well, Confucius, it ain't always that easy. We may not have known what we love back when we were studying, sometimes you've gotta hella graft for ages before you can properly achieve what you love, and sometimes what we love might have changed.

More and more, people aren't just doing their nine-to-fives, but also have a passion project - a side hustle, if you will - that they maintain in the hope of it becoming their main job in the future, so they achieve this elusive notion.

Arron Watson-McNab, 26, works full-time as a therapy assistant at a prestigious London hospital, as well as freelancing as a writer and photographer. His side hustle is photography - Faces, Places & Laces - while Dwain Caulker-Johnson, 25, is a part-time retail worker, whose passion is making music, under the stage name DeeWain. Amy Deeprose, or amybakesuk, 26, is a design engineer who uses her design knowledge in the cakes she bakes on the side. In a three-part series, I have quizzed them on how they manage their day-to-day jobs and maintain their side hustle, and how they hope to develop it in the future.

This week, Arron's up. Intrigued by the others, too? Then check out Dwain and Amy, as well.

How long have you been shooting images?

I got my first camera back in 2015, as a gift to capture my time spent working in America, but I would say it’s only been in the past year that I’ve started to take photography more seriously.

So, was that trip how you got into photography, then?

I've always been interested in photography, but never had the tools. While working in America, I found myself often going for strolls and taking photos of pretty much everything. This progressed to trying new angles, getting creative with my surroundings and learning about my camera to having a story or purpose behind some of my shots. From then, it just continued and I found a style, which my brand states neatly - Faces, Places & Laces. Alongside people I meet and places I go, my love for trainers found its way into my portfolio.

What motivates you to make time for your photography?

It’s like therapy for me. London is hectic at best of times and I have always searched for something to take me out of that madness. Holidays are great and I also meditate, but venturing out with headphones in and my camera in hand in my new favourite escape, especially as it speaks to the creative side of me.

How do you get your name out there?

Events, mostly. I am always looking out for cool events or attending galleries. I occasionally work in coffee shops, which has led me to meet some really fascinating people. Instagram is a great tool for photographers, as well, however, I much prefer connecting face to face. I will often stop people on the street for some of my projects and always meet really interesting people. Just this weekend, I met someone with their own brand looking for pictures, two club promoters who invited me down to shoot at their next event and an individual who was pretty well-connected in the sneaker scene. You never know where opportunities come from! Talk, share your stories and always have a business card on you.

What return do you see?

Personal satisfaction, mainly. I love the process of creating and seeing the outcome come out how I pictured it - it is always very pleasing. Financial gain is, of course, always a benefit, but the opportunities that have presented themselves outweigh that significantly. I am grateful to be in a company that has given me the chance to shoot individuals that I have been following for years, then, in addition, have them complement or use my work. That feeling is great!

What challenges have you faced juggling the photography with your full- and part-time jobs?

It’s not finding the time, or it’s being motivated to use the time efficiently. After a long day at work, finding that energy and mindset to go and do a photoshoot, write, blog or find new opportunities, as well as general life - cook, clean, go to the gym, see friends - is hard to maintain. Opportunities have been missed, friends let down and there have been countless late nights and early mornings, but love for the craft gets me through.

Do you invest any of your own money into your venture?

Yes, always investing in my development and photography is an expensive hobby. I am very fortunate to have the support of friends and family who all recently contributed towards a new camera for my birthday. I will forever be grateful and stunned by the amount of backing I receive!

Do you consider your photography a business? 

I am beginning to. Previously, I just enjoyed the process and never believed my work was up to a standard to make a business out of…I still doubt it now. However, I have had some very kind words from individuals in a variety of industries that have provided me the confidence to see this as a business. People need photos, those photos make money, thus the creator of those photos needs compensation. Simples!

What is your long-term career goal?

Currently, I am pursuing two, it seems. Firstly, [I want to be] a photographer, although I’m not quite sure where exactly I picture myself as a photographer. I have a deep-lying love for music, so mixing my art with capturing the journey and progression of artists would be cool. Plus, I’m so fascinated by the process of art - how an idea is transformed into a song/drawing/[item of] clothing/building - so, that would be cool to capture.

Secondly, I've headed back to uni to do a masters in Physiotherapy this year. Long-term, I would love to work with elite athletes, possibly track their recovery from injury [to recovery] in a series of pictures… who knows.

What advice would you have for someone who wanted to turn their hobby into their job?

Enjoy the process of working hard on something you genuinely have a passion for and say yes to every opportunity available. Alongside this, depending on the hobby, there will be a stage where you’ll have to take a step back and study the business element of your craft. Just be prepared for it.

Check out Faces, Places & Laces today.

A spotlight on side hustles: Making music

Images: Arron Watson-McNab (@facesplaceslaces)

"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."  We've all heard that saying, right? Well, Confucius, it ain't always that easy. We may not have known what we love back when we were studying, sometimes you've gotta hella graft for ages before you can properly achieve what you love, and sometimes what we love might have changed.

More and more, people aren't just doing their nine-to-fives, but also have a passion project - a side hustle, if you will - that they maintain in the hope of it becoming their main job in the future, so they achieve this elusive notion.

Arron Watson-McNab, 26, works full-time as a therapy assistant at a prestigious London hospital, as well as freelancing as a writer and photographer. His side hustle is photography - Faces, Places, Laces - while Dwain Caulker-Johnson, 25, is a part-time retail worker, whose passion is making music, under the stage name DeeWain. Amy Deeprose, or amybakesuk, 26, is a design engineer who uses her design knowledge in the cakes she bakes on the side. In a three-part series, I have quizzed them on how they manage their day-to-day jobs and maintain their side hustle, and how they hope to develop it in the future.

This week, it's Dwain. Intrigued by the others, too? Then check out Amy and Arron, as well.

How long have you been making music?

It's always been a hobby of mine, but seriously, it's been eight years.

How did you get into it?

I've always had music in me. I played the piano when I was young and I use to sing, too, but I didn't really get into it properly until university, really. I performed at an open-mic in my first year. After that, people were telling me that I should do something with music, but honestly, I didn't know what to write about and I wasn't good. However, at uni, I'd gone through different experiences and the only way I could express [how I felt] was through music. I started from there and just kept studying my craft. Now, I've got so many things to write about because I've seen a lot. 

What motivates you to make time for it, though?

Just the fact that music is a universal language and that it enables me to relate to people that I've never met before. Words are powerful and people believe in them, so I have to put the medicine in the message because I know my lyrics can inspire people to do greater things.

What return do you see from your music?

For people to feel moved by the music, that's the biggest thing, really. If people are coming up to me and saying that one of my songs or projects affected them in a certain way, I've achieved my goal, to be honest. 

I'd love for that feeling to expand though, so I can build a following big enough to sell out arenas one day - the 02 is my main goal. The idea of performing in front of your own fans on a big stage is mind-blowing. 

What challenges have you faced so far? 

I heard Will Smith say in an interview, "the fight to remain positive is the toughest fight you'll have," and that is the biggest challenge in this industry; you literally have to give everything before you get any kind of result back. The hardest thing is to keep going knowing that you're putting your best foot forward, but you're being ignored - but you have to keep pushing. Self-belief is so key to all of this.

Not having money is frustrating, too, but I can't get too mad because I'm doing what I love. I always tell myself that as long as the music is good, that's all that matters; the rest will come.

Also, the music I make is quite unique to the rest of the urban scene, so I have to accept that not everyone is going to be used to my sound, which can be frustrating. But I'm happy my music is different and I can create my own lane.

Do you invest any of your own money into your venture? 

Yes. I only work part-time, so I can make more time to study my craft, record, shoot videos... but most of my paycheck goes into my music. 

Would you consider your music a business? 

Technically, yeah, I'm getting paid for performances now, so it's a business. But I'd love to get into the music business properly. I've got dreams of owning a label!

What is your long-term career goal?

To be known as an elite artist. A legend. I want to be known as the guy who came and shifted black British music culture and did it my way. I'm coming for everything. Awards. Big tours. Classic albums. Classic moments. Everything.  

What advice would you have for someone who wanted to turn their hobby into their job?

Stay focused, stay disciplined and stay positive. Have a plan and speak things into existence - I believe in the law of attraction and your thoughts becoming things.

In my field, Instagram is so useful, but the best way is to find your pocket and feed it. Keep releasing good music consistently as you never know who's listening. Use different media outlets too - in my genre, there's GRM, Link Up, and SBTV.

Get what you deserve from this earth, too, because no one is going to just give it to you. It's going to require a lot of sacrifices, but as long as you're making progress, that's all that matters. Let go and let God.

Check out DeeWain on Spotify today.

A spotlight on side hustles: Creating and baking

Images: Amy Deeprose (@amybakesuk)

"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."  We've all heard that saying, right? Well, Confucius, it ain't always that easy. We may not have known what we love back when we were studying, sometimes you've gotta hella graft for ages before you can properly achieve what you love, and sometimes what we love might have changed.

More and more, people aren't just doing their nine-to-fives, but also have a passion project - a side hustle, if you will - that they maintain in the hope of it becoming their main job in the future, so they achieve this elusive notion.

Arron Watson-McNab, 26, works full-time as a therapy assistant at a prestigious London hospital, as well as freelancing as a writer and photographer. His side hustle is photography - Faces, Places & Laces - while Dwain Caulker-Johnson, 25, is a part-time retail worker, whose passion is making music, under the stage name DeeWain. Amy Deeprose, or amybakesuk, 26, is a design engineer who uses her design knowledge in the cakes she bakes on the side. In a three-part series, I have quizzed them on how they manage their day-to-day jobs and maintain their side hustle, and how they hope to develop it in the future.

This week, it's Amy. Intrigued by the others, too? Then check out Arron and Dwain, as well.

How long have you been baking and how did you get into it?

It's been 10 years. During my college A-level exams, I began baking cakes and learning to decorate them as a means of stress relief from revision. Then, when the baking got too much, the revision seemed like a break, so it worked out quite well.

What motivates you to make time to bake, though?

Enjoyment, stress release, people wanting to eat cake… Also, it's a creative challenge!

Do you see any return from it?

At the moment, I have only been baking for friends and family, but this helps spread my reputation by word of mouth, so when I eventually start running it as a proper side-business, it will mean I have a larger portfolio to do so.

This is legit a cake!

What challenges have you faced maintaining your baking on the side?

Mainly time. Given that I work full-time, if I have a large cake - such as a wedding cake – I’ll have to take a day off work, or plan my schedule carefully, which can sometimes mean a full working day, followed by six hours an evening over a couple, or more, days baking and decorating for an event.

Also, creating content for social media can be a bit of a challenge; making cakes can cost money and isn't something that’s as quick as some people might imagine, so having new content is something that can be difficult.

Do you invest any of your own money into your venture?

Yes! On equipment mainly - though sometimes, I’m given a small sum of money towards consumables. However, I am usually giving my baked goods as presents. 

Do you consider your baking a business?

While I still feel I am learning, and don't have all my ducks in a row just yet, I feel it cannot be one. However, when I have decent enough portfolio and some qualifications under my belt, it definitely could be - many people have suggested it should!

What is your long-term career goal?

To run my own business part-time cake-making, alongside other business ventures, either in products or management.

What advice would you have for someone who wanted to turn their hobby into their job?

Have a loose plan for a transition period where your hobby won't be a business, but you can use that time to grow your network - it's here where you may invest a lot of your own money. Taking jobs for a small fee, or free, is often necessary, too. Also, the best people to start networking with are your friends and family, and it grows from there.

Definitely make sure you have [an adequate] cash-flow and a business plan that's adaptable, and remember, if you survive a year as an actual business, then that's a massive milestone!

Order an amybakesuk creation - or set her a baking challenge - today.