First of all....let me start by saying it took me a long time - way too long - to consider myself a designer and an artist and to actually say it without reservation. I can't tell you the countless number of times I've kicked myself or stumbled over words when asked "What do you do?" I used to say that I was an artist second and announce my part time gig as my first job/career....whateva. My journey has been a long time coming and I'm not even in the thick of my venture as an artist, BUT I have accepted myself with open arms and now you couldn't get me to say I was anything else but an ARTIST!
I was talking the a day or so ago to a dear friend who is also an entrepreneur who holds a part time gig and she told me that I should let people know that I do something part-time so they won't think that what I do as an artist is all glitz and glamour - very much the opposite. She thought it was important to let those who are on the fence about "jumping off the bridge" without a net that unless they are financially able to do so, then a side hustle initially is important to keep the lights on and the dream business funded.
Yes, I have bumped my head and have many bloodied bandages from my scrapes with thorns on my way down sans net, metaphorically speaking. So for my sanity, I macramed a net.
I demo part-time for a natural food & supplement company. I choose my days and hours which works really well with my going back and forth to check on Mom and Pop 4 hours away weekly and bi-weekly most months. I'll get into the details of the job and the places it takes me in later posts. I brought the subject up today because I've been pulling double shifts for what will be 5 consecutive days ending on Tuesday. Normally, I would never subscribe to such madness because if the store is not busy, a three hour singular demo could be a mind numbing experience. I take my sketch pad and my imagination with me and because I absolutely love kids, and the funniest ones are those who are doing the happy dance because they have a piece of food in one hand and a vast colorful place with wide aisles to prance around. And the faces they make.....and the things they say....WOW. I'm a people person and am using these demo experiences to train myself to manage my energies and how I react to or divert peoples good and unwanted energy. I also am a people watcher....my mom and I used to go to the malls to grab a bite to eat and people watch....and shop too. I though I was compassionate but as of late, I really have honed in on the craft of reading people instead of taking what I used to perceive as a diss or attack on my well meaning being. I remind myself to be kind and think kind because one never know what another person's story is, what they've been through or are going through.
I find that no matter who the person I'm connecting with is, or what they look like, I either get an over abundance of personal information thrown at me, which I accept as a blessing in their willingness to share, or I get the person who will not even give me eye contact because of something or the other. I may be too dark, too tall, too feminine, - I really don't care. I just meet people where they are and go from there. My goal with this sometimey part time gig is to take the sting off of the pressure of growing a business and selfishly have my faith renewed in humankind. I can say that all is not lost with the human condition. Yes, I'll be more than happy when I can make the transition to solely running my business, but until then, I'm making my situation work.
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