The Maker's Playbook

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As makers with hobbies turned side-hustles, many of us get wrapped up in the ultimate goal and dream of quitting our day jobs to pursue pottery full time—but what if that pressure to monetize everything is actually stealing the joy from the very thing we fell in love with? Matt Robinson's experience first burning out on wedding photography taught him that the freedom to experiment, fail, and follow creative whims only exists when your livelihood isn't riding on what you make. Through six years of pottery alongside a flexible full-time job, Matt has learned that constantly trying new forms and glazes, worrying less about having only one “voice,” and posting to Instagram only when the spirit moves isn't a failure to build a "real" business—it's the luxury of keeping pottery as the side hobby, not the thing that pays the bills. Perhaps the real privilege isn't escaping the nine-to-five, but rather finding work that gives you enough time, energy, and financial security to make whatever you want, whenever you want, and releasing the financial pressure of needing every piece to sell.
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When you see someone juggling multiple jobs in their creative field, it's easy to assume it's because none of them could fully support them on their own—but what if having options is actually the most strategic business decision you could make? What happens when you intentionally build each avenue to be viable as a standalone career, then choose to keep them all anyway? In Part Two of this “Where are they now?” interview, Hope shares why she brought each of her four ceramic-related jobs to the cusp of full-time viability before deciding that she actually wanted all of them, for different reasons. We discover that sometimes building multiple income streams isn't about hedging your bets—it's about creating the security to make choices based on what you want rather than what you need. Could the freedom to say no to work that doesn't serve you—whether that's declining partnerships, stepping away from draining platforms, or choosing projects that energize rather than deplete you—be the real prize of building a multi-faceted creative career?

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So many of us carry the weight of what we thought our creative careers were supposed to look like—especially when formal education told us exactly what success should be. What happens when you realize that the dream you've been chasing (full-time solo artist, full-time influencer, the one perfect job) isn't actually what you want anymore? As Hope Limyanksy shares her journey from trying to fit into expected molds to embracing four different ceramic-related jobs, we discover that sometimes the path to sustainable creative work means giving different parts of yourself to different places rather than pouring everything into one all-consuming career. Could the freedom to choose multiple paths—instead of forcing yourself into just one—be what finally lets you build a creative life that actually serves you?
Looking for support in figuring out these big questions for your own unique life? Come join other makers from around the world who are having these very same nuanced conversations, with pragmatic support alongside inside of The Community.

Hope Limyansky is on Instagram @limyanskystudios
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We're bombarded with messages telling us we're missing some secret key to business success—especially at the start of a new year—but here's the truth: 
There's nothing fundamentally new about running a successful business, no matter what year it is. What if the real problem isn't that you're lacking some proprietary system or special knowledge, but that you've been convinced you need to keep searching for answers instead of trusting what you already know? The basics of business haven't changed in decades: tell people your work exists, get better at reaching the right people, and keep showing up consistently—and while educational resources can help, the courses promising to 3x your sales or unlock secret formulas are preying on your imposter syndrome rather than addressing the real work of building genuine connections with your customers. 
Instead of chasing the next shiny solution that promises to make everything easier, what if you gave yourself permission to trust that the sustainable, incremental progress you're already making—even when it feels slow or uncomfortable—is exactly what building a real creative business actually looks like?
I'm putting together a new free resource to help you trust yourself. To be the first to receive it, sign up for our email newsletter here: https://www.makersplaybook.com/newsletter
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For many makers, opportunities to focus solely on creative exploration—without the pressure to produce work for sale or prove our worth through finished pieces—feel impossibly rare or reserved for those along a traditional academic path. When you discovered your craft later in life, already juggling mortgages and responsibilities you can't simply walk away from, where do you turn for intentional study and community that actually fits your reality? Craft schools exist outside traditional academia, offering experiences from weekend workshops to multi-week residencies that welcome makers at every stage—and in celebration of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts' 75th anniversary, Perry Price shares what makes these singular learning experiences so transformative.

In this episode: Perry Price  @haystack_school
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Have questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com