Money is the thing

ask any creator who just got their first payment

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Now let’s dive in.

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I remember my first paid gig after leaving my job. Five dollars.

It wasn’t the amount that mattered—it was what it represented. Proof that someone valued what I could do. A tiny signal that maybe this freelancing thing could actually work.

From $5 to $500 to $5,000. Each milestone felt like discovering a new part of myself. Like learning what I’m capable of by doing the thing I wasn’t sure I could do.

Now I’m doing it again. Starting from scratch with something new.

A few weeks ago, I launched my first bootcamp—Book to Visuals. A 4-week practice lab for people who want to turn what they read into hand-drawn visuals.

This week, three people paid to join. Three strangers on Substack. Three people I’ve never met.

And I sat there staring at the notifications thinking: this is real.

Here’s what those three payments mean:

Someone I don’t know looked at my work and thought, “I want to learn from her.”

Those payments are validation, yes. But not in the way you might think.

They’re not validating my skill level or my expertise. They’re validating something deeper: that the journey itself has value. That you don’t need to be the best to have something worth sharing. That your messy, self-taught process can help someone else who’s exactly where you used to be.

We have this complicated relationship with money as creators, don’t we?

We say it’s not about the money. We create for the joy of it. For the expression. For the connection. And that’s true—I’ve been making visuals for two years without earning a penny from them, and I never stopped. A heartfelt message from a reader felt like payment enough.

But here’s what I’m learning: money isn’t everything, but it is something.

When someone pays for your creative work in a world obsessed with material consumption, they’re making a choice. They’re saying: this matters. Your time matters. Your knowledge matters. What you’ve built matters.

Those three payments aren’t just transactions. They are three people choosing to invest in learning something I spent years learning and improving. They’re choosing connection over consumption.

And that feels like magic.

This year, I’ve been feeling a pull toward something new.

A career where I illustrate visuals for authors writing about personal growth, slow living, holistic well-being, alternate lifestyles. I love reading. I love making visuals. And the intersection of both? That feels like home.

But here’s the thing about new directions: they’re terrifying. You have no proof it’ll work. Just a feeling that this is the right path.

There’s an old saying—when you want to master something, teach it. And I’ve found that to be profoundly true. Teaching forces you to organise your messy process into something someone else can follow. To discover what you actually understand versus what you only think you understand.

That’s why I created the bootcamp. Not just to teach others, but to deepen my own learning. To crystallise two years of experimentation into something structured. Something real.

I designed it as a practice lab because that’s how I learn—by doing, not by consuming theory. The first session starts with making something. No lengthy explanations. No waiting until you feel ready. Just: here’s the page, here’s the pencil, let’s begin.

By the end of four weeks, each person walks away with a visual portfolio. Tangible proof that they can do this thing they couldn’t do a month ago.

Because nothing makes an idea real like seeing it on paper. That’s when it stops being a thought in your head and becomes something that exists in the world. Something that can grow from there.

Those three payments taught me something I keep forgetting:

Put your creative offering out there. Even if it’s imperfect. Even if you’re not sure you’re ready. Even if only three people sign up instead of thirty.

There are always people waiting to learn from you. Not because you’re the most qualified or the most talented. But because your specific journey—with all its detours and discoveries—is exactly what someone else needs to see.

You don’t need to be the expert. You just need to be a few steps ahead, willing to turn around and say, “Here’s what I learned. Let me show you.”

Share it. Believe in it. Trust that the right people will find it.

And don’t underestimate the power of those first few yeses. They’re not just validating your work—they’re validating your courage to begin again.

Take a Little Pause 🌼

What creative offering have you been sitting on? What would it feel like to put it out there, even in its simplest form?

I’d love to hear what you have discovered. 😊

Want to create visuals like these? 🌸

Join my 4-week practice lab, Book to Visuals, and learn to transform the core ideas of a book into simple, hand-drawn visuals. No drawing experience or fancy tech needed—just a pencil, paper, and your curiosity.

Enjoy live sessions, personalised feedback, and a small, supportive group. Turn your reading into visual notes.

• Details: 10 seats per cohort | USD 99 (Limited time)

• One common book for a cohort

• Next Cohorts: March – May

Register your interest!

This week, I collaborated with Tanvi Bagadiya to create some visuals for her post on the book ‘The Art of Spending Money’ by Morgan Housel. Her writing feels so genuine. Read it here:

What I Learned from The Art of Spending Money

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Ways to support my creative journey 🎨✨

• Register for my first bootcamp to learn how to make visuals. Starts Jan 2026!

• License my illustrations – Love any of my illustrations? Use it for your brand.

• Hire me to illustrate for your brand, concept or upcoming book.

• Support my writing with a small tip✨💛

Take care! 💛
Rachna

Take a Little Pause is an illustrated weekly newsletter for anyone navigating the beautiful messiness of building a creative, calm and intentional life. If you’re on a similar journey, subscribe for free or become a paid supporter to support my writing and help bring my dream of publishing a coffee-table book to life. 💛