How this Melbourne Millennial is raking in $26,000 next month alone

The Melbourne Millennial has found a lucrative gig that allowed her to quit her full time job in December and create her own “fantasy” world.

Xandra Haynes is just 27 yet she is making a whopping $17,000 a month on average.

The professional 3D artist got her start in the industry by working on the Disney film Cats and the Apple TV film Finch, starring Tom Hanks, but that's not where she raked in the money.

Instead a move to Melbourne just before the Covid-19 virus hit forced her to make the most of the record number of lockdowns in the city.

“I always wanted to be my own boss and to work for myself but before the pandemic I never felt like I had the time to start,” she told news.com.au.

“At the beginning of the pandemic I had moved to Melbourne for a full time job and I didn’t know anyone and lived alone, so I devoted all my spare time to my creative passion and I originally started posting 3D models for sale.”

But the game changer was offering her services in 3D animation on the freelance marketplace Fiverr, with everything from avatar design, modelling and texturing, through to cinema animations.

Xandra Haynes has been creative since she was a child creating portraits of people. Picture: Instagram

For the first month, she earned just $700 but then she started to gain momentum, she said.

“Like all side hustles, it can take a while and now I’m usually earning between $17,000 to $20,000 a month,” she revealed.

Next month orders are worth an extraordinary $26,000, she said.

“It’s something I didn’t expect until it started happening and took me by surprise. But I’m really happy how it’s turned out,” she said.

It allowed her to ditch her full time job at the end of last year and take on anywhere between four to 10 jobs a month, so she can now work on her passion project.

“I’m using the extra income to develop a video game that I’ve been working on for years … and I’m working on the game with my sister who is programmer,” she explained.

“It’s a story driven fantasy game with a motion caption suit for the body … and it’s about living on deserted island village and forming either good or bad relationships. You go on quests, do combat and unlock the story as you go.

“It’s an exciting project and if hadn’t turned to freelancer projects it might not have happened.”

She expects to make over $26,000 next month. Picture: Instagram

Xandra Haynes is also developing her own game with her sister. Picture: Supplied

Most of the projects Haynes lands involve non disclosure agreements too, so she is dabbling in a top secret world at times.

Due to Covid, the gaming industry is more popular than ever before with research from PwC revealing that total interactive games and e-sports revenue in Australia is expected to increase to $4.9 billion in 2025.

Haynes is also a savvy property investor and has two apartments she owns in Perth where she grew up.

She lives in Melbourne. Picture: Instagram

She not only expects more Millennials like her to embrace being their own boss but also to make their own video games.

“I think it’s really important to choose something that you are truly passionate about and willing to put the time into it,” she added.

“It can be difficult at times but choosing something you love makes it all worth it.”