Growing Pains: Balancing a Side Hustle with Full-Time Work
Running a creative business while also working a full-time job is a challenge.
When I started One Eyed Woodworker, I was excited to see my work sell. It is a thrill to see something I’ve spent time making be appreciated enough that someone would part with their hard earned money.
There’s a deep satisfaction in knowing that items I have made with my own hands are sitting in someone’s home.
However, over time recently, I have found myself struggling to balance production with my full-time work.
The pressure to meet demand while maintaining quality can become overwhelming, turning what was once a joy into another source of stress.
Over the past 6 months, instead of looking forward to my time in the workshop, I was beginnging to resent it.
Seeing it as another obligation rather than the creative escape it once was.
More importantly, I didn’t want my side business to take away from precious family time with my son.
So, I recently took the somewhat counterintuitive (from a business point of view) step to scale back on one of the busier shops I was stocking with.
I’m Still Selling
That said, I haven’t stepped away completely—I’m still working with select smaller shops, selling via my website, and attending carefully chosen craft fairs where I can engage directly with customers.
These interactions remind me why I do this in the first place. Meeting someone who genuinely appreciates the time and effort that goes into each piece, who sees the beauty in the grain or the shape of a turned vase, reignites my passion.
At times, I’ve questioned whether it’s all worth it. Like many crafters and makers, I dream of going full-time. Of leaving behind the juggling act and focusing entirely on my craft.
The idea of waking up in the morning and heading straight to the lathe without the constraints of a day job is incredibly appealing. And ultimately romantic. I appreciate there is a lot more to the successful running of a business.
At the moment, that reality feels a long way off. I know that making the leap to full-time requires not just skill but financial stability, strategic planning, and a strong customer base. To sustain the business long-term.
Burnout & Stress
When the joy fades and it becomes just another job, I find myself wondering if I’m making the right choices.
Taking a step back has reminded me that the real reward isn’t in chasing growth for the sake of it. But in enjoying the process itself.
I am also lucky that I can make that decision. As it is not my main source of income. I appreciate others may not.
Keeping my business at a scale that fits my life, rather than forcing it into something unsustainable, has helped rekindle the satisfaction of making.
Balancing a side hustle with a full-time job requires constant reassessment.
It’s easy to get caught up in external expectations. In the idea that bigger is always better. That growth should be the goal.
But ultimately, a creative pursuit should bring joy, not exhaustion.
Scaling back isn’t a failure - it’s a way to try and protect the joy I get from the craft I love. While prioritising what matters.
Stepping Back to Move Forward
For anyone in a similar position, I believe that stepping back can actually be a step forward. As I look to create space for creativity and experimentation.
If, one day, the right opportunity arises to go full-time, I want to be sure I’m doing it for the right reasons. Because I love it, because it fulfills me, and not just because it feels like the next logical step.
For now, I’m content with where things are. I get to make and sell to people who truly appreciate the work.
I get to prioritise my evenings and weekends with my son, rather than being locked in the workshop chasing deadlines.
And I get to keep the joy in what I do—because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters to me right now.
New Pieces for Sale
Since the decision, here’s some pieces I’ve allowed myself to play about with - rather than just sticking to the same items:
