I've done this whole thing very bass-ackwards. I have read Etsy's "Quit Your Day Job" articles religiously for almost two years now. It seems like a lot of people use Etsy as a side business then once things get rolling (after a year or two), they realize their potential and take the plunge.
Me? I opened my shop two weeks ago tomorrow. My "nest egg" is the size of a caviar. I could draw 1000 terrible metaphors about how irresponsible my decision is, but bottom line is that I have unwavering faith that everything is going to work out. I don't know how yet, but I know it will. I'm not going to ramble on the job quitting situation, in this post at least; there are many more fun things to share.
I went to the fair a few times this year! A lot of people turn their noses up at state fairs (even though it's amazing people watching), but what's not to love? Tons of color, noise, excitement, fried food, food on a stick... Here are a few things I saw:
And yeah, I split a donut burger with my friend. Don't judge. It was actually really good. A nice sweet-salty combo similar to a McGriddle. Not that I love those.... Aaaaanyway, there are tons of fair pics on my Flickr if you want to check them out!
Today I finally got the majority of my stuff listed on Etsy, so I decided to take time to experiment with promo photos of prints, just to see what I am after. Here are some examples:
The Carpe Diem ones did not turn out AT ALL the way I wanted. Oh well; you win some you lose some. Lastly, I believe in signs, I've probably said that before. On Friday after I got home from work we had a random thunderstorm. It only lasted a few minutes. Afterwards, this was raging across the sky:
The beauty and calm after the storm... I couldn't help but compare it to my current situation. I am transitioning into beauty and calm and inspiration and creativity and appreciation and approximately 1,000,000 other things I won't mention right now. Life is good.
Lastly, my kitties are adorable.
Remember that life is good. If it's not for you right now, change something to make it good, or close to it. Nothing is guaranteed, so we might as well cram as much stuff into our given time as possible.
I love this post and I too believe in you!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy! It's been one crazy roller coaster of a week but I am finally feeling the excitement of what lies ahead - whatever that may be haha :)
DeleteCongratulations! What a nice, flowing, restful post. And inspiring too. Loved the state fair pics. Fairs and carnivals are great fun to me, but then it doesn't take much to please me. Yes your kittens are darling. I believe in signs too, and if you go with YOUR flow many others will not understand, but YOU will. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteThank you so so much Sandi. Fairs are amazing and if it doens't take much to please you then you must be looking at life in a very good way :) I hope you have a wonderful week as well!
DeleteThe last few sentences of this post are golden - so true. I'm glad you're brave enough to pursue happiness...it's a step that a lot of people are too afraid to take *HUGS*
ReplyDeletePS - your art is amazing...might have to make a purchase in the near future!
Aww Nicoley... Thank you so much. I was just talking about you the other day with one of my coworkers. I forget how it came up but I was telling her about Yolandi - remember when we used to turn off all the lights in the house and hide? I just started laughing again thinking about it.
DeleteYES - one of the top 10 most epic moments of college...!!
Deletewow, I truly admire your courage on this new chapter of your life. Like you, I get so overwhelmed with work and feel that once the rat race is done, my life will start... I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ana, I appreciate your words more than I can say. For me it got to the point where I was letting work interfere with my life outside of work, mainly art. It was sucking the creativity out of me; I'd come home and not want to make anything at all. Your blog is amazing by the way and I am so happy your comment led me to it. I have many introvert qualities that I feel like no one understand. Can't wait to read more of your words :)
DeleteYou took the plunge!. Hugs. So many possibilities out there for such talented artist like you!. My life has been great, peaceful & blissful after I made that decision. And the rainbow is a beautiful sign from the heavens that there are many great things to come your way! LOVE your photos, every single one. My favorite is the whimsy clouds above the fair :).
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Shahrul! You just radiate creativity and bliss... I'm hoping that taking the plunge and doing this will make me more like you in that way! It's pretty scary, but I am so excited. Like the first day of school or something. I'm suddenly seeing signs everywhere. I'm very grateful to have met people like you because your encouragement means the world!! <3
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