The glamorous life of the self-employed

HONESTY TIME!!!

The reality of being a self-employed artist?
I wake up when I want, go to bed when I want. Take naps when I want. I can work when I feel like it. I can work at home or at a coffee shop. I can structure my day however I like. If I don’t want to send emails/make a certain yarn/work on advertising/etc today, I don’t HAVE to. I am my own boss.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

And it IS, it REALLY is.

…except for the parts that aren’t all glamour and freedom. Like worrying about how I’m going to make enough to pay all my bills for the month, buy wool, and afford the entry fee to the craft show that is essential that I attend, so that I can get a flux of working cash in for the next round of juggling money and fiber. It’s a wee bit stressful! 😉
I have a good attitude about it, though [for the most part – I won’t lie, sometimes I stress right the hell out] because of this: I get paid to make beautiful things like the yarn above. I am working hard to make my dream of being a successful artist/artisan be reality.

If the trade-off is having to wait to buy new pants until the holes are too big to ignore? That’s okay. Hilarious thing? I’d rather have an iced latte than a new pair of leggings. The latte will go faster, but it makes my day better. No one sees my leggings but me. 😉

In a weird way, I appreciate what I have even more than I did before I went into this full-time.

I think of new ways to wear the same ol’ clothes. Rob and I look for cheap dates that involve nature and being observant, rather than having someone entertain us. I spend more time at home. I started eating better, because I started focusing on whole foods, rather than easy foods.

…I did splurge on an inexpensive gym membership. I don’t have health insurance, but I can eat well and take care of my body, right?

I spend a lot of time looking to nature to inspire me with my color. I also turn to my friends for support and inspiration, because they’re awesome. All of this? FREE, baby. Totally cost-free.

On a day like today, sitting in a coffee shop, writing this blog post – okay, I feel a little glamorous. But where I’m rich? That’s not in my wallet. And I’m happy, so very happy.