Be curious about the world in which you live. Look things up. Chase down every reference. Go deeper than anybody else — that's how you'll get ahead. - Austin Kleon

By putting things out there, consistently, you can form a relationship with your customers. It allows them to see the person behind the products.

By generously sharing their ideas and their knowledge, they often gain an audience that they can then leverage when they need it — for fellowship, feedback, or patronage.

The trick is to find a day job that pays decently, doesn’t make you want to vomit, and leaves you with enough energy to make things in your spare time. Good day jobs aren’t necessarily easy to find, but they’re out there.