What do you do on your creative days?
My post topic today stems from a customer question - “how many projects do you work on at once”.
The simple answer Kim, is MANY!!
There’s good reason for this though. . . . working in the studio is actually my full time job. Not that my hours probably qualify as full time [giggle]. They are quite variable and spread out over the week as I work around the kid’s activities and family life. I’ve been self employed for 18 years now and during that time I’ve earned my living from several different creative areas. At present I divide my time between teaching classes, both in the studio classroom and online, I design painting and stitching projects to sell as pattern packets on my website and then in between times I sell finished products and do commission work. My work is certainly varied and diverse and that’s the way I like it.
I tend to do certain things on set days. Monday to Wednesday I have people coming and going from the studio, so I work on quicker, smaller projects. Thursdays and Fridays are my big project days. These are the days I know I can work uninterrupted and really sink my teeth into a time consuming piece. They also tend to be painting days. Given my day job is also something I like to do in my spare time, I save up smaller hand sewing jobs to finish in the evenings while watching TV with the family. I’m not sure whether that qualifies as work or hobby?
I have several workstations set up around my studio so I can work on numerous projects at the same time. I try to keep my desk at the window neat and office like. That’s where I do paper projects, bookwork and the packaging and processing of orders. I have a bigger long table in the centre of the room that is the official ‘messy table’. I try to keep my clutter confined to that one area but on non-class days I do utilize the classroom tables. . . ummm maybe that should be, my creative clutter erupts like a volcano and spews forth to engulf the class tables. It can look a bit messy at times, but I tell myself it is creativity evolving.
Being self employed has its advantages. I feel blessed that I can make my own hours, be my own boss and work every day surrounded by my creative clutter. I have a very understanding husband, who shall we say. . . hmmm. . . tolerates the craftiness. By his own admission, he doesn’t really ‘get it’ but apparently “loves” everything I make, so I’ve got to be happy with that. Who doesn’t love a critic that embraces everything you do – lol.
Soooo, I hope I’ve answered Kim’s question and given you a better idea of what I do on my creative days.
I’d love to hear from you. . . how many projects do you have on the go at any one time?
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
