Artist as Business Owner
There is a not so subtle shift in your mindset when you move from making art as a hobby to the business of selling that art. A year ago I knew to my very core that I needed to leave my job. What would come next, I was less sure of, but I knew it would involve creativity. I told myself and others, that I was going to give myself a year to rest, restore and figure out what would come next, and that year is drawing to its end in less than three weeks.
Herbs for my kitchen garden
This year hasn’t been easy. For one, I don’t do rest well. There were many days I was consumed by worries that I had made the wrong decision to leave my job, and that I needed to go out and find a new one. Yet I continued to remind myself that I in fact had a job - it was to recover and discover myself. Secondly, I took the time to process the grief and trauma that I had been avoiding and stuffing down inside of me with my endless daily grind. Without the pressure cooker of my job, I was finally able to address the healing process, and for that I am all the better. Lastly, I got creative. I tried new recipes in the kitchen, I worked in my garden. I challenged myself to learn new knitting techniques by working new and more complex patterns - think cables, socks, and mittens!
Well, by those standards, I’ve achieved what I aimed to do - rest, restore, and create. But, Type A person that I am I went a bit further - I started my own art business.
Making art that inspires me and the buyer
As a business owner, I have lots to learn, and as a lifelong learner, I’m game. The adage is to learn something new every day, and I have certainly been doing that. From registering my business to opening a business banking account. From record keeping to sales tax filings. From signing up to participate in craft fairs to starting a website. Social media marketing, joining the local business owners association, and effective networking have all been tasks where my previous skillset as a teacher allowed me to advance a lot faster than I expected to.
Some days I feel like I lose sight of why I am doing this - the art. Well, that’s not necessarily true because setting up a website and marketing is creative. Setting up a pleasing looking sales booth at a craft fair is creative. Talking about my creative process at networking events or to customers is creative work. It’s all creative, but it just takes on a different guise.
In the end, I would say that in eleven short months, I’ve accomplished a great deal. A year ago I had a goal, but not really a plan. I didn’t know how I would achieve the goal when I set out to restore my physical and mental wellbeing and discover what the next chapter in my life was going to be. However, I think I did a pretty good job. Moving forward, I have a clearer idea of where I’m headed, and it all revolves around learning and creating something new every day!
