So when I wrote the last post, it ended up
being like a million words long, so I decided to break it up
(that's what happens when you don't blog for a thousand years).
But anyway, more thoughts on age... I am 28... and other than baby fatness a few superficial things, I am excited about this time. If you ask those who know me best, they will tell you that there is a certain spirit of contentment in my life that I have never had before.
When Sailor Studio started 2 1/2 years ago, we were just thrown into it. Everything was just fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, let's do this type of operations.
My mom had a deadline to get the business application in and we barely made it. But helping her was the best move ever because I didn't have time to think. I just did. There was no time to analyze everything to death before doing it. And jumping in head first opened up a possibility for me that I never took seriously before.
Art.
It was like unlocking a huge piece of the puzzle... In all my searching and wondering and analyzing "what should I do with my life?" I never focused on what was right there all along. My mom, my grandparents...Creatives are the "norm" in my family and that made me want to explore possibilities that were different. It's like the kid who grows up in a family of doctors and dreams of being an actor or a writer... except the exact opposite.
But I was just prolonging the inevitable.
Sure I wasn't terrible at the other things I tried, but they didn't feel right. Like when I
started working at a school. First of all, I am not
scheduled or organized and that is two qualities a teacher needs to have. But
the biggest reason it didn't fit is because being a teacher, you are
constantly engaged in social interaction... with students, other teachers,
parents... and fostering those relationships is not something that everyone is good at.
I
realized that too much social stimulation gives me serious anxiety.
I love the craft shows during the year when I get to chat with customers and other artists. I really do enjoy it. But if I had to do that everyday, it would be too much.
I love the quiet of the studio,
the days of getting lost in design and turning a piece of nothing into something. I am meant to work
with my hands, not my voice. That is where I thrive and feel most content.
I thought about having some kind of business before, but always thought I would have to have all the pieces in place, like having some huge amount of money to invest in it which was impossible for us. But I finely woke up to the fact that small businesses actually start small... tiny in fact. Usually one person who just has a simple talent- maybe it's cooking, or graphic design, or sewing, or taking pictures... and you just start doing it. You make gifts for friends and family... you offer to help out at an event... and it slowly evolves into something more. Now, especially with facebook and all the free resources, you can have a business up and running online within a couple hours.
But the biggest step that most people miss is
going from: I would love to do this, to, this is what I do.
And obviously most people can't stop everything and start a business or change careers, but you really don't have to.
Start small, on the weekends or after the kids go to bed.
If you need more education there are a million schools offering online and weekend classes. My husband finished his
bachelors and MBA while working full time and with
kids and now has a great job because of
that investment.
But more than just being a good job,
it it what he loves to do and he is great at it.
If you really want something you can. find. a. way. And it does take time. You will lose sleep... you will spend time away from your family sometimes... Anything worth having takes sacrifice and dedication.
And of course nothing is guaranteed. I know that
if David lost his job or something and Sailor Studio isn't enough, I would work again doing whatever I could to support my family. I have been a full-time working mom while he stayed home with the kids and worked on weekends... I have went to school full-time and worked part-time. I know that whatever comes our way we will do what we need to do.
And I am not sure if I will always have Sailor Studio... but I finally
know what I am good at and what I am capable of. I know that the drive is there. The talent and the motivation
is there.
The possibilities are endless if you stop making
excuses for all the reasons you can't.
And today I am grateful for that revelation. God gives us all talents and purpose and along with being a wife and mom, I finally feel like I am on the right path...
That is an amazing feeling.
But enough about me... I have an epic post coming about the 4 little men in my life. They have been up to all sorts of no good- and this little guy could. not. be. any. cuter!!
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