I decided to change my work routine a couple of weeks ago. I no longer stay up until I can no longer keep my eyelids open. Instead I wake up early to work. So far it seems to be working for me. But I still feel like I need more time. That has been the biggest drawback of not having an office where I can work quietly and efficiently. It's not fair to my son to see his mom tapping away on the her laptop or zipping around the house cutting and printing and packaging. I choose to work only when he is sleeping and when he is on a play date with his cousins. Still, it's just not enough time. This is something I didn't plan for when I left my old job. Am I complaining? No, it's just my reality and somewhat of a good problem.
I often refer to what I do for pay as "hustling". Gotta make that paper booboo although the work I do know doesn't nearly bring home the income I use to make. Don't get it twisted...I'm not rolling in the dough here. So what exactly do I do you ask? Well, I'm photographer for one. I average 2-3 sessions per month which doesn't seem like a lot but when you factor in editing time with the other work I do, it gets overwhelming especially when there's a couple hundred photos to look through in addition to my own personal photography.
I screen print. I design rubber stamps for my personal shop that also houses said screen prints. I scrapbook, still designing for Studio Calico + Paislee Press. I also do other work for Studio Calico including some design and coordinating the digital shop. I started doing product photography for Studio Calico. I do random design jobs locally. Invites, business cards, etc. I'm collaborating with friend on a new shop. Hopefully I'll be able to give some detail on that soon.
I try to blog. I thought I could turn this into a daily type blog full of inspiration and tutorials. Yeah, obvi that's sort of a fail which leads me to this post by Note To Self. ( I stumbled upon this through Pugly Pixel) Great post, especially if you're like me and feel as though you've gotten lost in your blog and the blogging world as a whole. Not going to lie. I get a wee bit jealous when I read various blogs and see how well designed they are and all the constant updates. That's why I don't actually read blogs that often. I hate that feeling. Plus it takes time away from what I should be doing. On the flip side of the jealousy is the motivation and inspiration. I don't want to make this to be a negative thing. I often feel rejuvenated when I read a blog I enjoy.
But what about my own blog and brand? It pisses me off that it's still half done and that I still don't have a permanent logo design. Other projects and work have taken precedence over my own personal projects and work. This is where I'm at a loss. I know I'm trying to do too much. My brand is scattered and lacks focus. This is a huge goal for me in the next year. As much as I would like to get this taken care of now, it's just not possible with the looming holidays and birthdays and everything else in between.
Why all this deep personal insight on a Friday morning? Well, it's just what I'm feeling as of late.....actually it's always on my mind. I use to pour my heart out here or actually my old Typepad address. After Tyler was born and Life.Love.Paper become more, things changed. Or is it that blogging world has changed? Is it more about ads and daily updates rather than personal thoughts? Man, it's got to be a fine balance. Kudos to all those successful bloggers out there. It's hard work and I don't think they get enough credit for that. Guess I'll just leave all of that up to them. Sparadic updates on random crap works for me for the time being. :)
Happy Friday. XOT