Comments on: Let’s Do This

By: Kim Werker

Kim Werker — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:52:11 +0000

What a fabulous card! Such good advice.

By: Donna James

Donna James — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:52:34 +0000

What a joy to find all of you on the same journey as my own! Like many others, I am transitioning from a “stable” administrative position to reliance on my artistic ability to live. Since leaving my desk job, I have come to understand the degree to which I was sinking into an abyss of mind-numbing predictability. Every day is now ripe with opportunity, but knowing that you are solely responsible can be a crazy burden sometimes (“Is this beautiful — or is it crap?”) I guess the creative process benefits most from encouraging ourselves (and each other) to stop getting in our own way. My good friend sent me a card when I embarked on this journey — “Don't look at your feet to see if you're doing it right. Just dance.”

By: beckajayne

beckajayne — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:41:04 +0000

Totally, why is it never just written in the sky like I want!

Right now I'm doing a mixture, a bit of part time 'real work' while my husband and I get going on our crafty stuff and I start my doula business. The tricky part with being a doula is that you obviously have to be really flexible with your time and so in some ways I'm kind of forced to remain out of full time work so that I'm even able to make a go of doula stuff. Thankfully I have a really supportive partner (who comes with great extended medical, haha) and while we're both scraping by we're excited about what we're doing.

By: craftivista

craftivista — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:02:50 +0000

It's a tricky dichotomy to work around…Which path should I take,
damnit?! And you want one to jump out and leap at you…but that
doesn't always happen.

So what are you doing now? Or are you making a leap in either
direction or creating a mix of both of them?

By: Leanne Pressly

Leanne Pressly — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:33:15 +0000

Robin,
“forced” to work at home could turn out to be WONDERFUL for you… I know I can never go back to the dress code, gossip, obligatory parties and fundraising purchases from everyone's children…. (I sound like a fun cubicle mate eh?)

I've been struggling with a lot of cyclical ideas as well and not knowing which path to choose. A good business consultant of mine said to just pick a few that your gut tells you to pursue and then do something every day to make progress on those two. Find a supportive person to PUSH you and inspire you and you'll get there.

By: Kim Werker

Kim Werker — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:05:03 +0000

Bring on the long comments! No, really. Our whole goal here is to converse
and discuss, so don't hold back.

I agree that learning about the balances different people strike is
fascinating, comforting, and inspiring. Pretty much overnight, my day's
highlight has become reading people's comments here, and watching the
conversation start to grow.

By: luvinthemommyhood

luvinthemommyhood — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:33:33 +0000

This is such a fabulous idea! I couldn't resist adding this great new blog to our link luv roundup. Come take a peek:

http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2009/07/link-l...

I'll definitely be back to join in on the conversation. Thanks for giving us a place to discuss these kinds of topics. You ladies rock!

By: Robin Duuring

Robin Duuring — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:29:03 +0000

I am looking forward to this developing and expanding because these are all my fears and my concerns and not knowing where to go and look. My situation is different I have been forced to find work from home. I have no idea where to start cause I get so over loaded with my ideas and lists of things I want to create I feel like I do not have enough time in a day to do all the things I want
So I am excited to see someone else express these issues

By: beckajayne

beckajayne — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:51:47 +0000

The whole idea of full time or part time, freelance or a fulfulling job really popped out at me reading this post. The period between when I first gave up one of my two part time jobs (the most HATED one) and now has still been one of uncertainty at times and absolute joy at others. Lots of worrying and wondering if I should take a crappy part time job just so I have some bloody money for a bit, when really I know that not only is it not what I want to be doing but that it will hinder my creative process. But then...is it the more responsible thing to do to take the money? Short term versus long term is tricky, especially when you don't actually know what the long term will be or if it will happen!

Argh, I fear I'm rambling, but one of the reasons I'm really excited about the dialogue this blog is fostering is that we will get to hear about a range of realities. Knowing that working 9-5 comfortably or giving up everything to freelance by the skin of your teeth aren't the only two options, but that we all mix and match what works for us and hopefully in a way that we can find fulfilling.

Sorry for the long comment, but I guess you tapped into something I was thinking about!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:08:14 +0000

yes. exactly. :)