I started an art side hustle to escape my job — now it earns more than I did full-time
For Gwen Lee, drawing was always a hobby — but it became something more when her day job started taking a toll.
Working as an animator in the gaming industry, she spent her days creating graphic, violent scenes. “It had to be cinematic and believable,” she said. “But after work, I needed something softer.”
During the pandemic, she found comfort in plants — and turned that feeling into art. In 2020, she launched Curious Pots, a side hustle centered around calming, plant-inspired illustrations.
Her work features soothing greens and blues, with a recurring character, Layla — a burned-out office worker who finds peace in greenery.
Lee started with stickers, riding a wave of demand, then expanded into stationery and calendars. But a new challenge soon hit: U.S. tariffs drove up costs for her international customers, sometimes doubling prices.
So she adapted.
She launched a subscription-based “snail mail” club — lightweight, affordable items like prints, letters, and stickers that could be shipped without tariffs. The idea clicked. Today, she has around 80 subscribers.
Before this, Lee earned about $1,500 a month as an animator in Malaysia. Now, her side hustle brings in more than that.
After moving to Singapore, she leaned into local art markets and conventions, growing her audience offline as well. Eventually, she left her full-time job and now splits her time between freelance animation and her business.
“It doesn’t always feel like work,” she said. “It’s more like a healing ritual.”
Still, running a business comes with trade-offs. While she has creative freedom, she’s learned to balance personal style with what customers actually want.
“You can’t just stick to one idea because it’s ‘your thing,’” she said. “You have to pay attention to what resonates.”
Her biggest lesson? Consistency beats perfection.
“I used to overthink everything,” she said. “But I pushed myself to post regularly — even one reel a day.”
Her advice to anyone starting out is straightforward:
“Stop doubting. Start creating. You’ll only know what works when you put it out there.”