After Losing Work in the Writer's Strike, He Turned His 'Weird Niche Hobby' Into a Side Hustle That Brings in Hundreds of Dollars Per Sale Jesse McLaren was forced to find another way to make ends meet — and he's not the only one.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- McLaren, a writer for 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' is selling snow globes on Etsy priced at $299 each.
- The strike, which has gone longer than some expected, shows no signs of resolution soon.
The strikes The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) commenced in May are still going — longer than some in the industry expected — and forcing actors and writers to find other ways to make ends meet.
Many out-of-work Hollywood professionals are picking up side hustles to earn extra cash. Jesse McLaren, a writer for the late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! who transformed his snow globe hobby into an Etsy business, is one of them, NPR reported.
Related: Hollywood Writers Just Announced They're on Strike | Entrepreneur
When the strike began, McLaren decided to monetize his talent for making custom snow globes: Now, he sells them on Etsy for $299 a pop, though he admitted to the outlet that business is "shaky."
McLaren isn't alone in his side hustle ventures. Becky Portman, who was furloughed as a showrunner's assistant for the Peacock series Killing It, has been giving Hebrew lessons and substitute teaching; SAG-AFTRA member Michelle Allaire is running her diner in Culver City, per NPR.
Strikes aside, many creatives are used to supplementing their incomes. Even so, those who have pivoted to a side hustle, like McLaren, look forward to resuming their full-time gigs.
"I want to make jokes again and I want snow globes to become just a weird niche hobby again instead of something I'm monetizing," McLaren told the outlet.
Related: Hollywood Strikes: Insiders Brace for Industry 'Collapse' | Entrepreneur
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are "far from resolving the strike" and still have to find a way into negotiation, Variety reported earlier this week.
