From Sit to Stage: How House Sitting Supports My Art

The Creative Career Paradox

Picture this: You're a comedian, actor, and writer with big dreams and boundless creative energy. You know exactly what you want to create, you can see your future self living your artistic vision—but there's one tiny problem. You need to, you know, eat.

So you do what countless creatives do: you patch together a survival plan that looks like some sort of Frankenstein with a hangover. A part-time job here, a casual gig there, throw in a contract role to see how much 'attention to detail' you can really handle. Meanwhile, you're house and pet sitting because, well, free accommodation and you genuinely love animals. Suddenly, you're juggling four income streams, living out of a suitcase, and wondering when exactly you're supposed to find time for that whole "pursuing your dreams" thing.

Sound familiar? Because that was my life for three exhausting years. (And maybe another time 3 years before that when living in London - but that's a story for another time).

The Overwhelm Olympics

What it feels like to be doing too many things at once

Let me paint you the full picture of my pre-professional house sitting life:

Monday morning: Wake up in someone else's bed (possibly lumpy) to walk someone else's dog who's developed separation anxiety and cries every time I use the bathroom. Check emails from three different jobs while trying to find wifi that may or may not exist.

Tuesday: Drive anywhere from 10 minutes to 1.5 hours (depending on where I'm sitting) to my part-time job, then rush to meet potential new house sitting clients and their pets for a "compatibility check." Spend evening prepping for next house sit while responding to messages from current clients, previous clients, and future clients—because now I'm running a house sitting service via two agencies and my own 'loyal customers' agency on the side.

Wednesday: Discover the "desk" at this house is actually a wobbly garden table, attempt to work on comedy material while a cat sits on my laptop keyboard. Receive cancellation text: "Sorry, our two-week trip is cut short due to COVID. Can you be out by Thursday?"

Thursday: Scramble to find last-minute accommodation, rearrange three job schedules, and maintain professional composure while internally screaming.

The cycle continued endlessly. I was working around the clock—literally living a 24/7 lifestyle of caring for homes and pets—while trying to squeeze my actual career dreams into whatever exhausted moments remained.

The Breaking Point Question

One particularly overwhelming Tuesday, sitting in my car between job #2 and a client meet-and-greet, I asked myself the question that changed everything:

"What am I doing this for?"

I was burnt out, anxious, and further from my creative goals than ever. I had no energy to create, no time to practice, and no mental space to grow as an artist. If it wasn't one of my three jobs demanding attention, it was my current four-legged client needing a walk, meal, or reassurance.

The math was brutal: I was working harder than I'd ever worked, but moving backward in the only career that actually mattered to me.

The Reset: One Powerful Question

The life of a creative entrepreneur - using a dog as a desk because he wouldn't move

So I stopped. I took a breath. And I asked myself a different question:

"What jobs do I actually LIKE doing and would keep doing for free while I pursue my dream?"

The answer was staring me in the face—or rather, wagging at me from across the room.

House and pet sitting. The one job I was already doing for free.

The Truth About House Sitting (That No One Tells You)

Here's something that isn't talked about with house sitting: House sitting isn't the "easy life holiday" some people imagine, and it's not for the faint hearted. It's not lounging by someone else's pool while their cat feeds itself. Not if you're doing it full time and you're good at it.

Real house sitting means:

• Living out of a suitcase 100% of the time

• Adapting to new routines, new beds, new environments constantly

• Managing an incredibly unstable lifestyle where your accommodation depends entirely on other people's travel plans

• Operating in a review-based economy where your reputation is everything

• Taking genuine responsibility for someone's most precious things: their home and their family (the furry kind)

But here's the key for me: I love it anyway.

I love the trust clients place in me. I love learning each pet's personality and quirks. I love the satisfaction of leaving a home even better than I found it. I love being the person someone can rely on completely when they need to be somewhere else.

Most importantly, I love that this work energises rather than drains my creative spirit.

This little one I was looking after snuck one on me while we were posing. Opportunist!

The Strategic Pivot

Once I realised house sitting was the work I'd choose regardless, the path became clear: go professional.

I did my market research (I really did my homework), and discovered something that surprised exactly no one who knew my work: I was already operating at a premium level. I was providing insured, professional-quality service with the attention to detail of someone who genuinely cares about excellence.

The difference was, I wasn't getting paid for it.

Why This Model Works for Creatives Like Me

Unlike traditional employment, house sitting offers something most creative careers desperately need:

Flexible Scheduling: I can block out weeks for auditions, writing retreats, or performance opportunities without requesting time off from a boss who doesn't understand that creativity can't be scheduled for evenings and weekends only. And can't comprehend that doing comedy means working nights - late nights, in bars and theatres.

Mental Energy Preservation: Instead of spending my best hours on work that drains my creativity, I'm doing work that often inspires it. Different environments, different neighbourhoods, different daily rhythms—it all feeds the creative well.

Location Independence: Whether I'm watching a beachside property or a city apartment, I can write, practice, and create. My office moves with me and I can open up new markets for comedy opportunities (comedy exists everywhere at all times, not just the festivals, and if it exists, we will find it).

Authentic Client Relationships: The people who hire me appreciate creativity, independence, and personal service. These aren't corporate relationships—they're human connections with people who value what I bring to their lives and the joy I bring to their pets which I treat as my adopted fur-kids (yes, I said fur-kids).

The Business of Creative Sustainability

A plant and a laptop = health right?

Turning house sitting professional wasn't just about earning money—it was about creating a sustainable model for my creative life.

Instead of splitting my energy four ways, I now channel it into two complementary streams:

1. Professional house and pet care that pays the bills and energises me

2. Creative work that fulfils my artistic purpose, and can follow the opportunities given to me without annoying that boss who doesn't understand.

The result? I'm not just surviving as a creative—I'm thriving. I have the mental space to write, the energy to perform, and the flexibility to say yes to opportunities that align with my artistic goals. (If you're looking to book me and you're wondering exactly what you'll get for your hard earned dollar, you can check out the 'What You Actually Get When You Book Sits And Giggles' article here! Otherwise, if you're enjoying the artsy journey, read on 👩🏻‍🎨)

The Unexpected Benefits

What I didn't anticipate was how much going professional would elevate every aspect of the work:

• Better clients who value professional service

• Higher standards that I'm proud to meet and exceed

• Business skills that transfer directly to creative entrepreneurship

• Professional confidence that shows up in audition rooms and writing sessions

For Fellow Creatives: The Questions to Ask

If you're a creative reading this wondering how the heck I've managed to pursue a life in the arts in this modern AI-riddled economy while you juggle multiple survival jobs and wondering when you'll have time for your actual dreams, ask yourself:

1. What work do you already do that energises rather than drains you?

2. What skills do you have that people already value (even if you're undercharging or not charging at all)?

3. What would change if you treated your best "side hustle" as your primary business?

The Creative Career Plot Twist

Real life image of me doing 'the thing' - comedy

Here's the beautiful irony: By focusing on house sitting as a serious business, I became a better creative. The confidence that comes from excelling in one area transfers to every other area of your life.

The organisational skills I developed managing multiple client relationships made me a more professional collaborator in creative projects. The problem-solving abilities I honed dealing with unexpected house sitting situations improved my improvisation on stage. The customer service excellence I pride myself on translated directly to networking and industry relationships.

Your Creative Life Deserves a Sustainable Foundation

If you're an artist, performer, writer, or any kind of creative, you deserve a business model that supports rather than sabotages your artistic goals. You deserve work that energises your creativity instead of consuming it.

For me, that turned out to be the work I was already doing for love. Sometimes the best creative career decision isn't adding something new—it's professionalizing something you're already great at.

The question isn't whether you can afford to pursue your creative dreams professionally. The question is whether you can afford not to.

What work are you already doing for love? What would happen if you took it seriously as a business? Your creative career might just depend on it.

Thanks for reading! If you're looking to book me for a house/pet sit, please go ahead and contact me here!

If you were just here for a geez, thanks for getting all the way to the bottom - go ahead and geez the Facebook and Instagram pages and give them a like :D And if I can be cheeky and ask if you want to follow my arts channels (honestly, it does SO much for the career), you can do so by clicking on my LinkTree link and choosing whichever channels you'd like! You can even learn a little bit more about me and my art if you're feeling inclined and curious 👩🏻‍🎨 That's all for now, Peace and sustainable lifestyles, Hannah xx