winding road

Paradox (Project 365 -- Day 90)

Cellphone charms

Why is it that when you have to do something, it can feel like a chore, even if you love it ... but when you don't have to do it at all, you actually can't wait?

It's still better than a mammogram (Project 365 -- Day 89)

Today was the day I gathered everything together for my taxes and sent it off to my accountant.

Last year at this very time, I was going crazy trying to get QuickBooks set up for Believe Street and entering six months of bookkeeping in a few days. Not fun.

This year, I'm happy to say, that part was a breeze. The misery of last year's experience was more than enough to motivate me to stay up to date on QuickBooks. Plus, once I was over the hump of setting it up and the learning was fresh in my mind, it was easier to make entries a couple of times a week than to fall behind and have to remind myself how to reconcile bank statements, for instance. Now that it's tax time, I can run out all the reports my accountant needs with just a few clicks. What a relief.

Last year, I also got into the habit of noting my mileage in a file each time I drove somewhere for business. This, too, was much easier than trying to look back over my calendar to figure out where I went, when, and how far it was. More progress. 

Taking inventory was probably the biggest tax-related chore this year, but even that wasn't too bad.

No. The part that's bad is realizing that despite how much I love creating and the creative process, I need to produce a lot more and sell a lot more if I want it to be my livelihood too ... or I'll be polishing off my resume and looking for a job. That's discouraging, given how much time, energy and effort I'm putting into my business, but it also lights a fire under me.

It's not that there isn't a lot of opportunity out there, mind you, or lots of avenues to pursue, or that my work doesn't sell ... it's that (a) I'm still trying to find the sweet spot where I have the right balance of production, sales, and materials on hand so there's not too much $$ tied up in inventory just because it's so tempting to buy more beads (guilty as charged); (b) I'm still trying to find just the right dance groove for my five P's (Marketing 101 ... but I still had to look them up to be sure) -- Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People; and (c) I haven't figured out whether it's even really possible for one person to do it all and have a successful business without burning out trying to do it all.

Or if I have, I don't really want to admit it, because I love my business and my creative freedom so much. I suspect I need help with production at this point, because I'm sure I could sell more than I do if I had it, but the production and design is the part I really like, and the reason I started the business in the first place ... so maybe what I actually need is help with sales ... or better yet, what I need is a strategy that makes my sales more efficient, so that instead of spending so much time and energy going out to local companies and craft shows, for example, I can spend more of my time creating beautiful things and just shipping them out ... because I get all the sales I need online or through wholesale orders. Yes, I like the sound and simplicity of that.

Which brings me to this year's equivalent of last year's QuickBooks challenge: Finishing the almost-there website update, creating the Etsy store, and exploring other online venues (and there are a ton of those). That's what I'll be doing for the next little while, because I'm not scheduled for another corporate day for more than two weeks, although Mom's surgery will also be happening in that time.   

Really, though, this can't be rocket science, right? It's got to be a lot simpler than that. I guess I'll just have to round up the heads of the manufacturing, sales, marketing and purchasing departments and have an executive strategy session ... maybe a nice off-site in some posh resort. In Hawaii.

Or maybe just me and my laptop and journal around a cozy table at the Borders Cafe in Bridgewater. In New Jersey.

But first I think all those tired department heads deserve a weekend off.

Oh, it's *that* Dickinson! (Project 365 -- Day 88)

This was my view today at Becton-Dickinson. There's a bright indoor courtyard/atrium, with a skylight roof. The 'windows' you see are actually offices that look out into the courtyard. They have black louvered shutters that they can close or keep open to the sunlight. I took this just as I was leaving at 3:00 p.m., when the afternoon sun made interesting shadows.

There are a series of colorful banners suspended from wires that run across the width of the courtyard. They portray areas of their business and purpose, such as developing treatments for diabetes, tetanus, and HIV/AIDS, among others.

Before I started going there to sell my jewelry and found out what they actually do, I wasn't sure what type of company they were. In fact, the name made me think of defense contractors for some reason ... maybe because when I worked in a typesetting and graphics studio in the 80s, one of our clients was Bendix, which sort of sounds like an abbreviation of Becton-Dickinson ... at least when you're really, really tired like I am.

Well, turns out Becton and Dickinson were two guys who met on a sales trip in 1897 and decided to form a medical device import company a few months later. The rest is history. But the curious thing is that the 'Dickinson' of Becton-Dickinson fame is actually Fairleigh Dickinson ... the namesake for the university where I got my MBA in the 90s.

I had no idea it was the same Dickinson (... the wonders of the Internet strike again).

So, I go to wikipedia just now to look up said Fairleigh Dickinson, and I see that (a) he was a Colonel, and (b), the school is in the midst of dealing with an outbreak of stomach flu (norovirus) that sickened at least 328 students and staff this very month. They apparently sent students on spring break early and were banning visitors to the campus in order to quarantine the virus.

Well, I'm sure glad I spent today at Becton-Dickinson the company ... and not Fairleigh Dickinson the university. Selling my jewelry to really nice people in a sunny courtyard is so much better than getting a nasty stomach flu.

Dream on (Project 365 -- Day 87)

It is simply the most perfect day today ... just gorgeous!

It's another busy week. I spent the past two days and part of the weekend catching up on orders from the last few trunk shows, finishing and delivering the wedding-party jewelry, and ordering supplies. I know it wouldn't seem like I'd need any after looking at my loot from last Friday, but there are all the 'incidentals,' like wire and clasps and such, that have to keep getting restocked.

So, today I'm in major production mode to prepare for Becton-Dickinson tomorrow. It felt like I'd have all kinds of time to restock after last week, since I've been home a few days, but being busy with all of the above, it got here before I could blink.

Anyway, that's all to say that I'm really short on time, so I'm going to borrow someone else's words today.

Even though I didn't feel like I had the time or energy to join the Finding Water group, which is working through Julia Cameron's new book, I did happen to see the book at the library a few weeks ago and couldn't resist reading it on my own ... though I confess to not doing the exercises. I still enjoyed it, though ... lots of support for the creative journey ... especially the rough patches. Julia knows the territory well.

This paragraph in the last chapter caught my eye, so I decided it was a keeper, and one to share ...

"For artists, optimism is a great advantage. It is too easy to buy into pessimism, to romance the many odds so clearly stacked against us. It is easy to give in and to give up. It is easy to declare ourselves beaten and to resign ourselves to a life of 'if only's.' But is it really easy to let dreams die? Dreams are hardy. They are stubborn as weeds. We may think we have uprooted our dreams only to have a dream push upward again, daring us, one more time, to believe in the unbelievable. As long as a dream lives, so does a chance of its manifesting. We can cooperate with our dreams or we can fight them. Our dreams are tenacious. They don't just fade away."

      -- Julia Cameron, Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance

Thank goodness for tenacious dreams, I say ... and the hope and optimism that come with them. And for blue skies ...

The first daffodil, etc. (Project 365 -- Day 86)

It was a warm and glorious spring day today, so on my way home from errands and the post office, I couldn't resist stopping at the Leonard J. Buck Garden, a little public oasis that's just down the road from us. I wanted to see if there were any flowers in bloom yet. There weren't many, but I spotted a few ... plus a few other cool things, like the wild wrap-around tree.

It was a nice break in the middle of production and paperwork.

I'll have to go back when all the rhododendrons are in bloom.

What happens when you leave the photo til the end of the day (Project 365 -- Day 85)

... you end up taking a picture of yourself reflected in your stereo.

Queen Mary (Project 365 -- Day 84)

I'm drinking my decaf mint green tea tonight in my Mary Engelbreit 'Queen of Everything' mug, which prompted me to write about her today. She's one of my biggest idols.

When she was 11, her parents emptied a linen closet in their home and set it up with a desk and chair so Mary could have her own 'studio' to draw for hours on end. Now, her company's retail sales are $100 million a year -- yup, 100 million -- and she estimates that she's created more than 4,000 illustrations since she embarked on her career as an artist.

If her name isn't familiar to you, I'm sure her whimsical artwork is, since it's on everything from cards to calendars to fabrics to needlework patterns to plates and mugs. She's also published more than 150 book titles. And, of course, there's her fab award-winning magazine, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary (that's the issue above).

Not bad for someone who never went to art school.

I was always a fan of her sweet illustrations, but she became a true inspiration to me a couple of years ago when I read Mary Engelbreit: The Art and the Artist. It chronicles her life and creative path, the inspiration for her drawings, the beginnings of her company, and how she's stayed true to her roots even as her business has grown in leaps and bounds. It's a very inspiring read for anyone who's a fan or who aspires to create a livelihood from their creativity.   

Some weeks ago, after picking up the 10th anniversary issue of Home Companion on the newsstand, I checked out the website, which I hadn't done in some time. It's been recently redesigned, and it's wonderful! One of the things I love about the magazine (besides all the beautiful eye candy) is that it always features profiles of interesting artists and creative entrepreneurs ... and the website has a lot of this content from past issues online ... plus a lot of other fun things. Unfortunately, much of the archived material is only available to subscribers, so guess who subscribed recently? Yeah, I know ... but I just had to get at those archives :-) ... plus, I was buying it quite often at the newsstand anyway. But I digress. There is content on the site that's accessible to everyone. Just go and click around.

On Mary's main site, you can also find some free screensavers, desktop backgrounds, coloring pages (how fun!), recipes, and craft projects.

My favorite pages, though, are the photo tour of Mary's studios/offices in St. Louis, this fun interview, and her 'about Mary' page, which ends like this:

When Mary was young, people told her that being an artist was not a realistic way to make a living, but Mary Engelbreit was never one to be easily discouraged. "I believed in myself," she says, "and now I'm living my dream."

There's that word.

Believing is everything, isn't it? Or at least it's a pretty big thing.

Hail to the Queen!

An HSP hits NYC (Project 365 -- Day 83)

I fell in love with these sweet Buddha carved beads yesterday, so I brought eight home with me. They just make me smile for some reason.

So, I took myself on a little adventure/artist date yesterday to the Whole Bead Show in New York City ... which, as some of you know, is not high on my list of favorite places, much as that makes me an aberration, I know.

I had been on the fence about going, not only for that reason, but because I had a lot of other pressing things to do, and ... well ... I already have a pretty good stash of beads here (big surprise, I know). But, I did need something specific for an order, wanted to check out a particular vendor from California, and wanted to shop for silver if the prices were good.

I decided that if I got in there early, focused on getting just what I needed and got out quickly, I could still get home in time to work on orders. That helped me feel a bit less guilty about going, especially on a weekday/workday, but I knew the show would be the least crowded yesterday, and hey ... for me this is 'work,' I reminded myself.

I took a 9:04 a.m. train that dropped me off at Penn Station around 10, got some exercise walking the 14 blocks to the Metropolitan Pavilion, and was in the door by 10:30, just a half hour after it opened. I found everything I needed, and yes, I admit I did pick up a few other beautiful things on impulse :-). Still, I was quite proud of myself when I checked the time on my way out and saw that I could probably catch the 1:13 p.m. train if I walked briskly. That means I was only there about two hours, which -- trust me -- is the shortest amount of time I've ever spent at any bead show.

One interesting aspect of this little adventure,though, was viewing it through the perspective of a 'highly sensitive person' (HSP), something that never would have crossed my mind before learning about Elaine Aron's book.

In the past, if I were going into New York, I would almost certainly spend the entire day. After all, the train ticket is $16 (more during peak hours), and parking at the station is another $3, so I would want to 'get my money's worth' by making sure I got in early and saw and did as much as I could before coming home among the throngs of evening commuters.

Now, after learning about HSPs, I totally understand why I was always exhausted after one of those days. The noises, the smells, the flashing neon, and the chaos of traffic, people, bikes, and street vendors would overload my circuits and make me just want to retreat to a peaceful, quiet home where I could 'breathe' again. I didn't realize what was actually happening ... only that I was always very tired after being in the city, and that I breathed a sigh of relief whenever I 'crossed over' into New Jersey, which meant I was headed home.

Yesterday, I was much more conscious of this.

A bead show, if you've never been, is a feast, let me tell you. But it can also be overwhelming. There is so much to see ... thousands and thousands of beads and jewelry components in every color imaginable ... a virtual smorgasbord. There are throngs of people, especially since jewelry making has become so popular the past few years and the availability and variety of materials have just exploded. These shoppers, while quite nice I'm sure, are all running around, squeezing around tight tables with their very large shoulder bags (or wheeled luggage). Everybody's trying to get the vendor's attention for prices or questions, or to get their silver weighed, or find out what the wholesale discount is ... in other words, there's a good deal of noise and chaos.

And then there are the lights. Almost every vendor has these very bright, very hot lights shining down on their merchandise. It makes everything all sparkly and brilliant, but it also makes the room feel like a sauna in very short order. And there isn't a water fountain or snack stand in sight to buy a bottle of water.

In the past, I would be so taken with all the shiny, sparkly things that I would never leave until I had gotten around to every table. Yesterday, I was tempted to do the same thing, believe me. So, it was a good thing that I had promised myself I wouldn't stay too long. And you know what? It was just perfect.

Yes, the insatiably curious me wanted to stay all day and fondle everything. Not only that, but I also would have liked to go to the Urban Glass Bead Expo afterwards, which was another whole show going on next door dedicated entirely to glass beads -- and quite spectacular, I hear. But, I resisted the temptation on both counts, not only because I promised myself I would go on the condition that I come home 'early,' but because I realized I'd already had enough. Just the right amount of stimulation, actually, even though there were more things to see.

And believe me, you don't need to be there all day to put a nice dent in your wallet ... one can do plenty of damage in just two hours ... but I really love everything I picked up. I didn't buy anything in a bead-induced fog that I reget buying.

Plus there's another bead show in two weeks, and that one's in New Jersey. :-)

So, there I found myself sitting on an NJ Transit train at 1:00 p.m., headed for home, reading Creatively Self-Employed and not feeling tired at all ... maybe for the first time ever on an outing to NYC. Feeling pretty happy, in fact.

Woohoo!

I tried to resist, honest (Project 365 -- Day 82)

Some of my booty from the Whole Bead Show in New York City today. Oh my, did they have some beautiful things. More details tomorrow.

I'll make bead addicts out of all you yet ...

Power Washing-ton (Project 365 -- Day 81)

My travels today took me through Princeton, which is one of the most charming towns in New Jersey. Not only is it home to Princeton University, which has a beautiful campus, but the center of town is filled with cool restaurants, cozy cafes, and neat shops ranging from funky to chi-chi.

I was headed to Bristol-Myers Squibb, just a few miles out of town, so I only got to pass through the outskirts. My route took me past the town's municipal building, though, which has this large Washington monument in front of it. It's huge, actually. I had only seen it from a distance before, but today on my way home I decided to stop and get up close. It apparently depicts Washington in the battle for Princeton ( ... but please don't ask me to elaborate on that ... history is not my strong suit).

As I went to park, I noticed fencing around the monument and a large sign indicating that it's in the midst of a renovation. The carving is really quite exquisite and detailed (right), and nothing appears to be falling apart, but it does look as though the elements have taken their toll on the 'color' over the years ... so I suspect good old George just needs a good old power washing.

Anyway, I had a really great day today. In fact, it was my best day so far this year. Lots of sales, a couple of orders, and -- to add icing to the cake -- another order waiting in my email when I got home, from a woman who had stopped by during the day.

I wish every (corporate) day was like this!