“My hope is to actually create a true space for my ‘side hustle’, whether as a ‘she-shed’ in my home or in a store front somewhere.”
– Teacher & Mompreneur Phoebe
So you have a university degree… So you have a career… Why not still do a side job that’s just for fun?!
My mom often said that a career is not an option to take away from your creative endeavors. But rather, a method of endorsement! Often time moms juggle between their careers, driving the kids around and doing household duties. All practical tasks that keep the family household thriving.
However self care does not only have to be summed up to an evening bath and glass of vino. Self care can be a creative outlet that brings in personal disposable income.
Blupoetres Creations by Mompreneur Phoebe shows us the benefits of this self-care activity:
Blupoetres Creations is located in Long Island, New York, and strictly an online or word of mouth business.
In my “real life”, I’m a high school English teacher, so when school is in session my turn around times vary from 3-6 weeks. However, while at home during the summer break, I try to get items created and mailed within 2 weeks.
Items already in stock could be sooner. I recently created custom birthday tees for my soror celebrating her 45th birthday and with drafting, proofs, and creation, I was able to get it to her within 7 days.
My 10 year old son is very understanding of “mommy’s side hustle” deadlines. I’m about to start my MFA in the fall, so it will be interesting to see how I juggle teaching, school, and my business.
My excitement for creating custom gifts started two years ago, when one of my sorority sisters introduced me to the planner world. Initially, I was simply trying to organize my life, but then I saw how women were decorating their planners and pages with all these beautiful stickers, I wanted my planner to look cute too!
At first, I was buying (and still have drawers full of) stickers for every occasion, then one day I thought, ‘I can make that!’ And being part of the planner community, my sorors started asking me to make them stickers. Finally someone asked, “Hey, do you think you can put that on a shirt?”
I had my little Silhouette cutting machine already and tried it. Took a few missteps here and there, but it was a start. Then a dear friend saw my posts for this shirt and that shirt and suggested I make a website.
I’ve always been complimented for my creativity and told that I need to do something with it. So that Christmas I asked my husband for a heatpress machine, and I’ve been creating custom tees, glassware, and gifts ever since.
I like to think of my creations as wearable art. As a teacher and mother, I like that many of my products have a message for men, women, boys and girls.
One of my favorite items came out of a conversation with a patron at a pop-up shop. She looked at me and asked, “Were you teased when you were younger?’ I explained to her that with my dark skin, I was the butt of many jokes throughout my school years. Her response brought me to tears, “I can see through your products that you want people to feel good about themselves. Kids and people bully because they want what you have. You know, only cute girls get teased, right? Put that on a shirt.”
I cried because she had no idea what a tough time I was having in my life and her words were so uplifting and right on time. I went home and created that shirt for mothers and daughters.
Most of my shirts, like my poetry (yeah, I’m a poet too!), come from my life experiences and the things that I see happening in my community. I think that’s what sets me apart from larger brands- plus everything I do is handmade.
Just like being a teacher, I want people to walk away feeling good about themselves in something that I’ve created.
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