One of the best things about being a maker and running a small business is you get to make your own schedule. This of course calls for some organization and self discipline: trying to find balance between work and play, both personally and professionally. (Believe me I’m still trying to figure it out.) I am grateful to the network of creatives who have become friends/ mentors to help me navigate through this journey.
At this moment, I don’t have a staff. I am the sole artist, marketing director, shipping department, and bookkeeper etc.
Because everyone loves behind the scenes, here are a few things I do for balance:
- Paint 3-5 pieces every day. I like to work in the morning- early, as I’m most productive then. The house is quiet. I often sit at my dining room table because the light is beautiful.
- Walk + stretch daily/ yoga2-3x week. This is a priority. I’m often sitting in one position and get “crooked” or have tight hips, shoulders/ neck. I aim to keep my muscles flexible and strong for lifting and moving pieces in and out of the kiln, shipping, loading and unloading. I get out for walks daily with our two dogs, Rebel + Mocha.
- Social media posting: This is a whole chore! I try to be consistent and post something at least once a week (4-5x a week is the goal though) Customers seem to respond to Instagram stories the best and they love to see behind the scenes. I mean, who doesn’t?
- Paperwork: ugh. I loathe this. However, I’m getting better at keeping up with the filing system. Like anything, it takes practice. Sometimes I set the timer for 15 minutes and that somehow seems to help me focus. I’ve been thinking about hiring a bookkeeper.
- What’s for lunch? Oh yes, have to eat. Most of the time I plan something, but sometimes I meet a friend for lunch to get out of the house/studio.
- Shipping: This is the bane of my existence. I try to recycle and reuse as much as I can, so I’m always searching for the right size box. I find that putting one inside the other, lined with bubble wrap or crushed paper is the best method for a successful delivery. If by chance anything breaks in shipment, I replace it.
- Clear dipping and firing: typically I clear dip everything once a week and fire them on a separate day. I share the kiln with a few other artists. Most often we are able to fire items together as our schedules allow.
- I love lists! (Can you tell?) I use the “notes” section of my phone a lot to keep track of what needs to get done. I also have a notebook.
- Manicures. Yep. My cuticles and hands get so dry from working with clay that I treat myself to manicures about every 3 weeks. After all, my hands are my tools so I can create beautiful things for you.
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Music: I usually have music playing in the background while I work. I also need to stand up every 20 to 30 minutes and move around, so if there is a good dance tune on, I’m all in. (Let me know if you have a good play list!).