It’s called side hustles – not a full time job, or even a part time job – just something people do on the side to bring in extra money. I met a former Macon High School teacher who turned a love of painting into extra pocket change, with the help the internet selling site .. Etsy.

“I’ve always wanted to draw. Even as a little girl I would be out in the backyard drawing with sticks in the sand,” says Dale Watts, a seller on Etsy.

Dale Watts has always loved art.

“I doodle anytime I have to sit down.”

And people took notice.

“People would ask me if I would draw their houses or if I would draw a building that was special to them and then finally somebody asked me one time if I could do a Christmas ornament for them,” said Watts.

Those requests lead to an idea, a shop on the internet sale site, Etsy.

“I sell lots of stuff that you can make from an original drawing.”

Watts says, the set up was actually very easy and you can do it, too .. all you need is a computer or smart phone, a picture of the item you want to sell…

“And then Etsy leads you through step by step. It’ll ask you things like give it some key words, search words, cost, quantity, things like that. All you do is plug in the answer. Then they charge you 20 cents to list it and you’re in business,” says Watts

Those doodles have now turned into dollars

“It covers my expenses and I make enough, like if I want to paint a beach, then if covers my expenses if I want to go to that beach, look at the beach and do a real in depth study. And we take some trips that are covered completely by the Etsy shop,” Watts.

Easy money, from something that comes naturally to Watts.

“I think because I’ve always wanted to draw, I’m gonna draw, and you need to do something with it.”

Watts says the more time you put into your shop, the more money you can make right from your own home.

See her Etsy products and make a custom request, here.

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