What does "making it by" mean in this context?
https://youtu.be/4aco80OebuE?t=238
This video is about a woman who dresses up as a princess for a living, and towards the end of the video she says her job doesn't pay her much, but it's worth it because it gives people happiness, and continues to say,

"I'd rather be just making it by doing something I really love."

And I don't really understand what it means. I'm not even sure if the idiomatic expression used here is "make it by", or it's "make it" + "BY doing~". Which of the two is the phrase in use in this context and what does it mean?
Thanks in advance for your answer!

Question

What does "making it by" mean in this context?
https://youtu.be/4aco80OebuE?t=238
This video is about a woman who dresses up as a princess for a living, and towards the end of the video she says her job doesn't pay her much, but it's worth it because it gives people happiness, and continues to say,

"I'd rather be just making it by doing something I really love."

And I don't really understand what it means. I'm not even sure if the idiomatic expression used here is "make it by", or it's "make it" + "BY doing~". Which of the two is the phrase in use in this context and what does it mean?
Thanks in advance for your answer!

Answer

"Make it" in this context can have two meanings:
1 - To achieve success in life, to achieve all of your big goals in life, i.e. - "After Tom got married, bought a big house, and had two kids, he really felt that he had made it in life"
2 - To make a living, or to earn income / salary to pay the bills
I think that both meanings apply in your example.

Answer

I would definitely agree with Michael's comment. This is referring to her making just enough money to live on. So not enough money to live comfortably, but enough money to be able to survive.

Answer

I suspect that by "just making it" she means earning only just enough money to live on.

Answers · 3

Still haven’t found your answers?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!