Does your name start with D? Know someone whose does? This D is for Dumbo Octopus mug could be the perfect gift—or the cutest addition to your own office coffee arsenal.
I mean, how could you not fall in love with the Dumbo Octopus? With its flappy ear-like fins and deep-sea mystery, this quirky creature is as adorable as it is rare. Found drifting in the darkest depths of the ocean, it’s a true oddball of the sea—just like a lot of us creative types trying to survive on land.
These mugs are printed on demand via Redbubble, and that’s not just a convenience thing. Redbubble uses ethically sourced materials, eco-conscious practices, and prints your mug as close as possible to where it’s ordered. That means less waste, less travel, and more love for the environment—just the way I like it.
What jobs have you had?
And speaking of mugs and offices, today’s question is:
“What jobs have you had?”
Honestly, it’s more like: what jobs haven’t I had?
In no particular order, I’ve been:
- Wooden boat builder
- Lawnmower man
- Café owner
- Travelling cinema owner
- Cinema projectionist
- Barista
- Cook
- Hospital data entry
- Video editor
- Filmmaker
- TV art department grunt
- Behind-the-scenes documentarian on a Bollywood film
- Home maintenance guy
- Courier driver
- Pizza delivery guy
- Video store guru (I really know my movies)
- And most importantly—farmer, podcaster, artist, and kids’ book illustrator.
Most of these came with a base-rate, minimum-wage paycheck. I never went to university (apart from film school, but that doesn’t count… really) never took the “secure” career route. So here I am, 51 years old, broke in the bank—but wealthy in life experience.
And weirdly enough, In my mid forties I took career advice from… Jim Carrey.
He said:
“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
Turns out, he was right.
So here I am, doing what I love. Not earning a living, but doing what I love —illustrating strange and wonderful animals, making mugs, and telling stories like this one. One Dumbo Octopus mug at a time.
Kids Book Illustrator Andy C Marshall 