After I became a mom I became really interested in time management techniques out of necessity or maybe desperation. One tip I have heard over and over again is to not let the so called "urgent" things take up all your time so that you never get to what's really important. My son means everything to me and I realize that in order to be a happy person and therefore a good mom I need time for my art. I was very lucky to be able to hire my parents to babysit so I could make beads since there is no multitasking when it comes to melting glass.
However, a massive chunk of my business and work time is spent on selling, shipping, photographing and all of that has to happen while I'm also watching my son. It's incredibly overwhelming and completely crazy making at times. I've learned to accept the fact that I can be a good mom and a good business owner only if I'm ok with being a TERRIBLE housekeeper. I actually love to clean and organize and I love living in a clean organized space. Tidying up my house seems like it needs to be an URGENT task when I'm overwhelmed but if I focused on it all the time I would never sell any beads. Then of course I would have to stop making them because I wouldn't be able to pay my parents for watching my kid while I make them.
So sometimes I have to just let my dishes pile up in the sink so that I can get my packages shipped with eBay's required shipping time. Sometimes when the art supplies strewn all over the table have already failed to entertain, I have to haul out a box of legos and helplessly watch them get spread out all over the floor to keep my three year old entertained while I answer messages.
Shortly after my son was born I got into paring down my possessions and the whole concept of minimalism and minimalist living fascinated me. I pared down my stuff a lot and though it helped somewhat it didn't keep dirty dishes from piling up in the sink.
Last year I got obsessed with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. In the book the author says to focus on the things you really love and
want to keep and to get rid of everything that does not "spark joy." I got rid of a TON of stuff, in fact it took over three trips to Goodwill with my car packed to get rid of it all. I don't miss any of it and I also learned how to fold and put away clothes without having my dresser be in the same chaotic state within a week. Though I would still really recommend the book I now realize that my obsession with it was due to the fact that I bought into a unrealistic fantasy.
Author Marie Kondo does not run a business from within her home that is currently undergoing renovations. She doesn't live with a pack rat husband and doesn't have a bratty toddler with daily irresistible impulses to the throw the few possessions that "spark joy" for her across the room. My expecting the same kind of perfect home that she so eloquently describes in her book was the same as when I was a little girl and wished I had the same natural blonde hair and proportions as my Barbie doll. My reality is slightly different.
My reality is accepting the possibility of experiencing the excruciating pain of stepping on a lego on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. My reality is having the beautiful things that "spark joy" occasionaly broken or having to pack them away in boxes unused and unloved until the day comes that my kids no longer need to hold my hand, snuggle multiple times a day and are also finally old enough to not break my crap.
Instead of wishing for that day to come sooner I choose to accept my beautiful chaotic mess of a life. I still get overwhelmed. Everyday I get overwhelmed. But I'm learning to take a deep breath and just let the mess and the chaos and all the urgent undone things be.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Growing Up in a "Disadvantaged" Area
It's funny to think that I spend all most of my time making art and pretty things because I was raised to be VERY practical. My parents did not introduce me to art or teach me to appreciate beautiful things but they did make sure to teach me the value of hard work. My mother never wore jewelry, makeup or nice clothes. I grew up in a single wide trailer but there was never any feeling of shame or lack about that fact. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I learned that rural Maine and our home in particular were something many people would look down upon.
I'm very thankful for the people who did introduce me to art. My elementary school started an art program when I was about halfway through and the teacher we got was wonderful. I was lucky enough to take private sewing lesson from someone who creates the most artistic quilts I've ever seen and does other amazingly original fiber art projects. I then went on to high school where I had another excellent art teacher and was lucky enough to have art class everyday all four years of high school.
That said I don't regret that I wasn't raised in a city with lots of art museums and culture, or that my parents weren't highly cultured people or even artists themselves. They encouraged me and helped me to pursue my interests even if they knew nothing about them. Anything more than that would have been unnecessary.
My rural, practical upbringing was an amazing gift and though most would look at Washington County Maine and see a depressing place lacking in opportunities, I realize that it was the very thing that gave me such a valuable and unique opportunity.
How exactly? If my parents had had a perfect beautiful home they never would have let me set up a torch and kiln and melt glass in it as a teenager. Keep in mind I had taken no classes, watched no youtube videos on the subject because we had dial up internet at the time and I had no idea what I was doing. My closest previous experience was probably with 4th of July sparklers. Dad was willing to risk his old workshop/shed that he and mom built out of logs however.
If my parents had had high hopes for their honor roll student going to an ivy league college they never would have let me live with them while I figured out how and if I could make a glass bead/jewelry business grow straight out of highschool.
If as a teenager I had had activities and parties and a fantastic social life I never would have had the time to devote to learning lampwork.
And of course there are many more reasons just like this.
Today I don't live in a fancy home and I have to drive a long time just get groceries or go to the doctor. I don't own nice clothes not because I don't like them but because I work from home. Even when I do go out in public, everyone else is dressed in jeans and flannel for the most part anyway.
But in return for those small sacrifices I have a job not only doing what I love, but the very job that I dreamed of doing from the time I was a teenager. I live debt free in a half renovated 1860's farm house with unlevel floors so I can be sure to continue to do what I love. And I live in what I believe is one of the most beautiful places in the world so I am never lacking for inspiration.
I'm very thankful for the people who did introduce me to art. My elementary school started an art program when I was about halfway through and the teacher we got was wonderful. I was lucky enough to take private sewing lesson from someone who creates the most artistic quilts I've ever seen and does other amazingly original fiber art projects. I then went on to high school where I had another excellent art teacher and was lucky enough to have art class everyday all four years of high school.
That said I don't regret that I wasn't raised in a city with lots of art museums and culture, or that my parents weren't highly cultured people or even artists themselves. They encouraged me and helped me to pursue my interests even if they knew nothing about them. Anything more than that would have been unnecessary.
My rural, practical upbringing was an amazing gift and though most would look at Washington County Maine and see a depressing place lacking in opportunities, I realize that it was the very thing that gave me such a valuable and unique opportunity.
How exactly? If my parents had had a perfect beautiful home they never would have let me set up a torch and kiln and melt glass in it as a teenager. Keep in mind I had taken no classes, watched no youtube videos on the subject because we had dial up internet at the time and I had no idea what I was doing. My closest previous experience was probably with 4th of July sparklers. Dad was willing to risk his old workshop/shed that he and mom built out of logs however.
If my parents had had high hopes for their honor roll student going to an ivy league college they never would have let me live with them while I figured out how and if I could make a glass bead/jewelry business grow straight out of highschool.
If as a teenager I had had activities and parties and a fantastic social life I never would have had the time to devote to learning lampwork.
And of course there are many more reasons just like this.
Today I don't live in a fancy home and I have to drive a long time just get groceries or go to the doctor. I don't own nice clothes not because I don't like them but because I work from home. Even when I do go out in public, everyone else is dressed in jeans and flannel for the most part anyway.
But in return for those small sacrifices I have a job not only doing what I love, but the very job that I dreamed of doing from the time I was a teenager. I live debt free in a half renovated 1860's farm house with unlevel floors so I can be sure to continue to do what I love. And I live in what I believe is one of the most beautiful places in the world so I am never lacking for inspiration.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Buy Art Not Brands
Do you ever think about what your dream home would look like if money
were no object? Would it look like luxury home photos in magazines?
Would you be surrounded by expensive furniture and whatever art and
decor that was trendy and expensive at the time? Would you want things
like a pool and a tennis court even if you don’t really like to swim or
play tennis? Or would it be a completely unique place all of your own?
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about what makes us want something, and why sometimes we find ourselves wanting things that don’t really fit us as individuals. Sometimes we want things because its more about them helping us fit in rather than those things fitting who we are.
Lately I've seen multiple articles like this about Etsy’s most successful seller. http://www.inquisitr.com/1863026/thr...libaba-claims/ I’ve started to completely rethink my approach to selling art.
Common advice to artists is to become a brand. Basically this means to somehow magically make distinctive art and become famous at the same time. This is great advice because our society is brand obsessed. Even as artists, we are brand obsessed. Etsy’s most successful seller created a brand that is so big that now she must have her designs mass produced. She's definitely a brand but is she an artist?
Is it really Etsy’s problem that they have to find a way to survive and thrive as a huge popular website that serves a culture that is brand obsessed? Just like food brands would have never taken corn syrup out of their products before documentaries like Food, Inc, got so popular, Etsy won’t change before the culture does.
I believe that big brands are as to artists as huge farms are to small local farms. The reason that so many people desperately want to sell their art and work for themselves is to avoid having to work a soulless unfulfilling career, but ironically many of those soulless careers are working for a big brand. I think marketing is often approached by other artists as a way to get their art seen by more people and bought by more customers over other artists. I can give you advice on how you personally can get an edge over other artists by finding the right keywords and optimizing your listings for search engines, etc, but that can only help one person be able to quit their regular 9-5 to sell their art.
Other artists aren’t your competition, brands are. If we can work to sell art itself to people instead of just marketing our own art and trying to find a way to tell everyone how great your work is without sounding egocentric or stepping on others toes or spamming all your fans you’ll create real change in the world. The hands that make products for a brand don’t belong to the minds that dreamed them up and in that disconnect the “soul” is lost. Art has soul. Art that is created in the mind and made by the hands of the artists that belong to that mind, that are ONE with that mind, that art has soul.
The problem is that as a culture we don’t put a monetary value on that. We dismiss that “soul” as oh you made something cute, oh she is crafty. Oh he does art for a hobby. Then we turn around and put a huge monetary value on something mass produced or even made in a sweatshop because it has a brand name. Someone put a lot of money into advertising and product research to make you aware of that thing. They spent a lot of money to make you believe that if you own and display that thing that it will enhance your ego or impress people you don’t really care about.
A masterfully crafted craft or piece of original art is not something that you throw away when the trend has passed. Rather there is no trend to come or go but the thing has true value that is more likely to increase then quickly diminished with time. The less well known the artist and the more original the art, the less brand like it is.
Trends in fashion are the most ridiculous waste of resources because essentially a trend is started by a few brave people who discover they want to be different from everyone else and everyone else wants to be different too so they all end up looking the same. Then it’s on to the new trends. Trends are destroying the earth. Instead buy an original piece of art that speaks to you, that you love and be original.
Before you purchase something ask yourself? Why do I like this? Do I like it just because I like the brand name? Do I like it because it’s popular? Do I value it because I think it has value or because my friend thinks it has value? How much is this actually worth considering the materials and time spent on workmanship? Whose hands made this and who designed it? Are they the same person? If not how greatly removed are they?
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about what makes us want something, and why sometimes we find ourselves wanting things that don’t really fit us as individuals. Sometimes we want things because its more about them helping us fit in rather than those things fitting who we are.
Lately I've seen multiple articles like this about Etsy’s most successful seller. http://www.inquisitr.com/1863026/thr...libaba-claims/ I’ve started to completely rethink my approach to selling art.
Common advice to artists is to become a brand. Basically this means to somehow magically make distinctive art and become famous at the same time. This is great advice because our society is brand obsessed. Even as artists, we are brand obsessed. Etsy’s most successful seller created a brand that is so big that now she must have her designs mass produced. She's definitely a brand but is she an artist?
Is it really Etsy’s problem that they have to find a way to survive and thrive as a huge popular website that serves a culture that is brand obsessed? Just like food brands would have never taken corn syrup out of their products before documentaries like Food, Inc, got so popular, Etsy won’t change before the culture does.
I believe that big brands are as to artists as huge farms are to small local farms. The reason that so many people desperately want to sell their art and work for themselves is to avoid having to work a soulless unfulfilling career, but ironically many of those soulless careers are working for a big brand. I think marketing is often approached by other artists as a way to get their art seen by more people and bought by more customers over other artists. I can give you advice on how you personally can get an edge over other artists by finding the right keywords and optimizing your listings for search engines, etc, but that can only help one person be able to quit their regular 9-5 to sell their art.
Other artists aren’t your competition, brands are. If we can work to sell art itself to people instead of just marketing our own art and trying to find a way to tell everyone how great your work is without sounding egocentric or stepping on others toes or spamming all your fans you’ll create real change in the world. The hands that make products for a brand don’t belong to the minds that dreamed them up and in that disconnect the “soul” is lost. Art has soul. Art that is created in the mind and made by the hands of the artists that belong to that mind, that are ONE with that mind, that art has soul.
The problem is that as a culture we don’t put a monetary value on that. We dismiss that “soul” as oh you made something cute, oh she is crafty. Oh he does art for a hobby. Then we turn around and put a huge monetary value on something mass produced or even made in a sweatshop because it has a brand name. Someone put a lot of money into advertising and product research to make you aware of that thing. They spent a lot of money to make you believe that if you own and display that thing that it will enhance your ego or impress people you don’t really care about.
A masterfully crafted craft or piece of original art is not something that you throw away when the trend has passed. Rather there is no trend to come or go but the thing has true value that is more likely to increase then quickly diminished with time. The less well known the artist and the more original the art, the less brand like it is.
Trends in fashion are the most ridiculous waste of resources because essentially a trend is started by a few brave people who discover they want to be different from everyone else and everyone else wants to be different too so they all end up looking the same. Then it’s on to the new trends. Trends are destroying the earth. Instead buy an original piece of art that speaks to you, that you love and be original.
Before you purchase something ask yourself? Why do I like this? Do I like it just because I like the brand name? Do I like it because it’s popular? Do I value it because I think it has value or because my friend thinks it has value? How much is this actually worth considering the materials and time spent on workmanship? Whose hands made this and who designed it? Are they the same person? If not how greatly removed are they?
Sunday, August 17, 2014
New Murrini, Angler Fish
New murrini, an angler fish. As freaky and awesome as these fish are why don't they have a cooler name? Murrini is made by making a large design and pulling it out into cane that when cooled is then sliced into chips that you set and encase in the glass beads. Making this reminded me of 4th grade when we had to do reports on various creatures that live in the "midnight zone" of the ocean. Some other lucky kid got to do a report on an angle fish and I got assigned this... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathypterois_grallator I'm still pretty annoyed about that.
Beads to come soon!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Nature Walk
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