Good Morning and Happy Friday. You might have noticed I’ve been blogging a little more than I had been… It’s all in an effort to make time for the things I enjoy, like writing.
I’m discovering that making your hobby your job is a real challenge. Rewarding, but challenging! It’s really hard to tell yourself to stop. And when you do stop, what do you do to relax? I still enjoy sewing for fun, but at the end of a day of sewing orders, or if I give myself a Sunday off, I often feel at odds. First, I feel guilty because my to-do list is a mile long and growing, and second… I’m not sure what to do with myself when I am not sewing. Sewing was the thing I did for fun… now I do it for hours upon hours every day, it’s not exactly the thing I want to do to unwind. I find that even when I stop for the day, I get on pinterest and browse lingerie boards, I get on Etsy and mess around with my shop or the teams I participate in. It is incredibly hard to turn everything off. The workload of running your own business is challenging, and trying to figure out things like shipping brokerage, import numbers, accounting, etc. on top of your day to day duties can be hard, but the thing I am struggling most with the most is having time “off.”
I just have so many things I want to do! I really want to give my blog an overhaul, I need to get ontop of in my inventory… and tax time is upon us! I am quickly learning that one simply cannot do everything themselves. My best friend, Abbey, has been helping me with editing my images which has been a major help, and Dan has been helping me when he can with shipping which is one of those things that, I don’t know why, feels like such a pain to do, so I am very grateful for the help.
Come Summer Time, I will feel better when I can get outdoors, play in the garden, go to the beach… This winter is really starting to drag me down. We’ve gotten so much snow this year, it’s hard to get around. It’s cold, it’s dark… I’m just absolutely craving warmth and sunshine. And a little vacation time… I am turning 30 this summer and am planning a week-long camping getaway… I am eagerly anticipating it, July can’t come soon enough!
I’ve been working on lots of custom orders lately. This is one for a customer who wanted something for daily wear that was pretty, yet subtle. I used a light weight ivory tencel overlaid with champagne lace. The fabric is super soft, totally the type of thing I would like for myself!
4 Comments
Amy
February 22, 2013 at 6:02 pmI have struggled with this same thing for years. I actually took up knitting, because I wanted to be doing something creative with my off-time, but I didn't want to be sitting in front of a sewing machine or computer.
Don't underestimate the power of getting away from your working space and computer though. Take the dog for a walk (no matter how cold it is). Go buy a cup of coffee. Go to the library. Give your brain a chance to switch channels from your business, and some of your best ideas will come to light.
Brittany_Va-VoomVintage
February 22, 2013 at 9:31 pmI know exactly what you mean!! My etsy/blog/everything else online is really taking off making it hard for me to take off. Like Amy, I also knit, force myself to shut down the computer and watch a movie with the hubs and I read a lot, which is a good distraction from everything else. Since spring will be here soon, I'm planning my veggie garden, which Im sure will help to drag me away from the computer
LoLeviLa
February 23, 2013 at 8:06 amI can’t stop sewing as well. It is hard to be torn off from a sewing machine. But if not me, others make it real) My doctor said I had to work out to be healthy. My back aches from time to time and it is getting more often and more depressing. My husband says I need to work out to stay in a great physical form after giving a birth. In theory I agree we need to do exercises and I don’t mind starting some myself. I went to fitness club and got a one year club card. When started going I discovered that it is really challenging for me to spend 3-4 hours doing something different than sewing. I was envy because I thought how many things I could make and sew within these 3-4 hours. Though doing gymnastics in the past I found that I enjoy doing gym and going to group lessons. It is still difficult to bring myself to the fitness club because I have a baby and past 2 months we have been staying at home because severe cold outside. I have had to put my gym and fitness lessons on a pause. Now I need to make an effort to turn away from sewing and finally start going to the fitness club next week. I hope I will) My baby resumed going to a kindergarten. Now I can plan my time according to my needs. You can’t imagine how happy I am to get my freedom back) I am so grateful kindergartens exist!!!
Anna Depew
February 23, 2013 at 9:43 amIt's so beautiful, well done! I have the same problem, and having an iPad has made it much worse. I'll be relaxing at the end of the day, curled up reading a book on my kindle app, and suddenly I'll get a convo notification and the next thing I know, I'm working, checking on orders, hard to stop 🙂
Though, if you love doing your job enough, you won't mind as much as you ought to!
We just found out that we will be moving to Monterey, California in a few months so if you get the winter blues again, you should come south for a visit and some sunshine!