The Hustle Economy: Transforming Your Creativity Into a Career

by Jason Oberholtzer (Editor), Jessica Hagy (Illustrator)

To survive in today's gig economy, you must be a mover, a shaker, a doer, and a maker. In The Hustle Economy , we give you 25 essays from founders, writers, producers, game makers, artists, and creative types from every path who share one common trait -- they are all self-made hustlers who have managed to turn their creativity into careers.

In this collection you will find essays

Producer and performer Mike Rugnetta on why "Do what you love" is both the best and worst piece of advice you'll ever receive.
Author, television writer, and humorist Emma Koenig on staying focused and productive no matter what life throws at you.
Web comic Zach Weinersmith on the equation for success and using your creativity to do what the rest of us won't.
Trendspotter Jess Kimball Leslie on identifying your skills and turning it into a successful career.

This book exists to inspire and inform. Your creative career is attainable, and we'll show you how to do it and why it's worth it.

Complete list of Nick Douglas, Ben Grelle (aka The Frogman), Adrian Sanders, Farah Khalid, Mike Rugnetta, Emma Koenig, Asha Dornfest, Kelsey Hanson, Móa Guzmá Thomas Leveritt, Casey Bowers, Josephine Decker, Donna Salgado, Alex Pearlman, Dante Shepherd, Brad O'Farrell, Jess Kimball Leslie, Meredith Haggerty, Alex Larsen, Nancy Zastudil, Lee LeFever, Jeff Wysaski, Zach Weinersmith

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Self Help, Economics

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Jason Oberholtzer is coauthor of I Love Charts: The Book, and The Hustle Economy.

He used to like being on the internet.

Reviews

[Kelly]

Like all collections, some pieces are better than others. I thought I'd love the addition of images here, but I found them to be kind of distracting and at times made little sense to the piece at hand. I'm sure other readers who are more visual will appreciate that more than the pieces.

In some cases, I felt like "hustle" meant something different to the writer than it does to me. Which, again, what happens in a big collection.

This is more of a "borrow from the library" than a "buy because it will change your life!" book. It's totally fine, with some definite gems, and it's a rare case where business/creative/productivity/life skills advice and insight is from an actual diverse range of individuals, rather than all white dudes.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. As with any collection of essays from multiple writers, the quality is uneven. I do commend the editors for assembling authors from a variety of fields and backgrounds. A few of the essays stand out as having great advice presented well, particularly the first and last essays. Some are well done but not particularly relevant to my field or what stage I'm on right now, and that's to be expected. Only one essay out of the twenty-five felt completely useless ("In Defense of the Hustle"); I'm sure than each of the other twenty-four has something to offer to someone, even if they aren't all useful to anyone.

The few ways in which the editors attempted to unify the book, though, fell flat. The hand-drawn graphs are a cute gimmick, but quite a few of the line graphs and Venn diagrams don't make sense when examined, and they don't always correspond to the text surrounding them. Authors interpreted the "Act on this" portion at the end of each chapter in vastly different ways, leading to varying success with the format.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to freelance or develop a creative side-gig, with the understanding that only two or three essays will fit your present situation. You may want to just check it out of the library and jot down the ideas that resonate with you, then pass it on to someone else.

[Anna Sabino · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You can't take one popular thing you make and ride it to success. You have to double your efforts and keep making cool things" shares Ben Grelle, one of the contributors to "Hustle Economy." The book is a delightful ensemble of pieces of advice delivered by creative entrepreneurs from different paths of life. They all present their own view on the entrepreneurial hustle. Fun, lucid illustrations by Jessica Hagy are a great addition speaking to so many of us who are into the visuals.

[Kate Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

CREATIVES. This is so solid. Whether you freelance or not, you should read this. Solid combo of encouragement and pragmatic advice from creative entrepreneurs in varied fields. Never read a business book so soulful, funny, and prescient about the way creativity and industry collide. Helps you remember that you are human, and that rest, feeding your brain, and boredom are part of the hustle--and even aid the hustle.

[Ryan J. King · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very nicely-written and inspirational book for anyone thinking of getting going on a side hustle. Especially the last three chapters were very good and made for a strong finish.

Honestly though, I would have liked to hear from a few more people who failed, or at least temporarily failed. While the tone of the book was probably intentionally optimistic, but it could have done with a little balance.

Recommended nonetheless.

[Shagufta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! If you want your creative endeavours to be the thing you "do", this book is for you. The essays are interesting, the homework is manageable, and the people contributing are relatable. My full review can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/seriouslyplan...

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The act on this part of every chapter brought me into the outfield of my comfort zone.

Nuggets of Truth:

The worst is never certain to arrive
Do you use the day or does the day use you?
Hustling is a big fuck you to everything that stands in the hustlers way.
Nobody really makes it to success everyone rises and falls in patters throughout their life.
Clear body clear mind
You can't hold a toxic grudge against yourself
Relevance is slippery
Learn to operate humbly and accordingly
Get it the way you got it

[Sharine Cheah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are thinking to start a new small business or venture into entrepreneurship then you should give a read on this book.
Not technical but probably will give you some inspiration, motivation and very much emotionally well prepared for the new route you are taking on.
This is definitely not a comfortable path but when it's the right call to your soul, and need mental support and some ideas on how others get it through, the book might give you hope.

[Andee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m usually skeptical about self-help books cause they’re more often than not a bunch of crap. This one’s got some very real, very funny crap though. And while there are several voices, they’re somewhat cohesive and revolve around relatable themes. I just found some of the illustrations unnecessary.

[Goh Jiayin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shares the advices from hustlers on how to make it in the creative industry. It has lots of advices that not only motivates you but also informing you on the harsh reality of being a creative entrepreneur. I would say the main takeaway from this book is to just do it and you will figure it out along the way. Without further ado, happy hustling!

[Prabhani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has great notes as well as lot of jargon. Since it’s with essays many people have written. The style is not consistent which made it difficult to read. But first few and last two stories are great. Im sure there’s something to take from all the stories. I would give 3.5 rating

[Nariswari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that you want to read before you start your career. The infographic keeps the reading experience interesting whilst the writing style is not heavy at all.

[Alicia Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some essays I loved, others were... ok, I guess? The ones I liked had some great advice, so it was a worthwhile read.

[Ahmad Rajiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lumayan.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since this is a book of essays, it's a take it or leave it kind of book. Some of the essays spoke to me, others not so much. I did find the graphs confusing and unwarranted. If you're going to put in a visual it needs to make sense. I feel like the graphs were there just to take up space.

[Denise みか Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted this book since it first came out, in large part because Mike Rugnetta, of IdeaChannel, contributed to and recommended it. I finally got to read it after I received it as a Christmas gift this year and for the most part, I was not disappointed. I already expected the format--a collection of essays written by a wide variety of creatives and entrepreneurs--so it doesn't bother me that some of the entries were almost completely irrelevant to my situation and goals. Most of the essays were simply confirming what I have already learned in my pursuit of a creative career, so I wasn't particularly touched by them, but there were a couple that really shone, and I fully intend to bookmark them, reread, and actually follow through with their respective "Act on This" sections.

If the essays were all there was to this book, I would have given it a full five stars. Unfortunately, there was one nagging problem that plagued the entire tome: the arbitrary and often nonsensical graphs peppered throughout. They were so distracting and disruptive that I eventually tried to ignore them completely. Every time I was drawn in and tried to examine them, I was either completely flummoxed (because the graph just didn't make any sense) or annoyed because they didn't add any clarity to what I had just read (which is the real point of including such visual aids). It didn't help that most of the graphs just looked like the same four or five images with different text scribbled on. I think the book would have been much better if the graphs were only at the beginning of each essay, as an indication of the new section's overall message and a way to reset the reader's thought pattern, like a visual pallet cleanser. Honestly, the book would have been just fine without them.

All in all, I'm glad I finally got to read this book. There was some great new advice and viewpoints for me to consider, and even the tips and tricks that I already knew were nice to read as a refresher and confirmation that I'm doing things right. Now, it's time to hustle.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confession: I have no intention of going into business for myself. Entrepreneurship does not hold much interest for me, and I like the field I am in perfectly well. I really only picked up this book because Dante Shepherd (of Surviving the World) recommended it and Jessica Hagy (of Indexed) would be illustrating it. It turned out that while Dr. Shepherd's chapter was interesting, Ms Hagy's illustrations were basically dull and redundant.

I actually got the most value out of the last chapter, written by Zach Weinersmith (of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal). His advice, to constantly learn more, even about subjects that don't necessarily interest you, and to always be reading really struck home. It is the same advice I've heard many of my favorite authors make, and his rationale for all this reading really made sense to me (and not just because I am a librarian).

The other stand-out chapter, for me, was written by Alex Larsen, a game designer and battle rapper (Kid Twist), largely because of the glimpse it afforded into the two fields.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short essays from various creatives and entrepreneurs on how they make a living through hustling in a variety of endeavors outside the typical 9 to 5. It includes a wide range of perspectives, both in what Hustle Economy means and in how they go about it. I wouldn’t call this a how-to book. To me it’s more an inspirational book with little tidbits of how-to thrown in throughout. Some essays were better than others, but overall I felt it was quality content. I like the diversity of experiences of the authors. There are writers, artists, dancers, trend spotters, designers, and entrepreneurs. Scattered throughout the book are drawings and diagrams by Jessica Hagy that illustrate topics in each essay. I enjoyed these. They were simple, but often very appropriate. Following each essay is an “Act on This” page containing a list of actionable steps to put into play or better understand some of the topics in that essay. I think these can be useful. I could see myself rereading some of these essays when I need a little inspiration or a reality check.

I received my copy of The Hustle Economy through a goodreads giveaway.

[Bea P. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some sections were great, most sections were meh. While some essays really offered good tips, such as the one with the "crowdfunding", other sections felt too rushed and not well-thought of. If this was a book that sought to detail these hustlers' experience, then I would have given it a 5. But these essays were compiled to help interested hustlers transform their creativity into a career- which only a few contributors did.

[Michelle Olms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Bobby Claude · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book showed the importance of hustle in a creative career. However the way this book was organized made it very difficult to follow.

[Rismanisme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artikel didalamnya bagus, walau ketika baca di bagian tengah harus sampai mengerutkan dahi. Saya suka 2 artikel akhir, sangat menggugah.