Man, what a crazy couple of months it's been! First off, I need to say a big thanks to all of you out there that have been following me throughout all of my transitions and my growth in this creative world I'm trying to build. With the new year, I feel more focused, more determined, and bursting with new ideas and business ventures. I truly feel like this is going to be a fantastic artistic year for me, and I'm so excited for what's to come.
Okay, the first thing I wanted to share is the picture above. She's yet to have a title, but she's hopefully going to bring me a lot of business, because she's going to be gracing the back of my business cards and post cards. I've been posting ads on craigslist, growing my mailing list longer and longer, applying for jobs on several freelance sites...my marketing efforts have been quite hardcore, I must say. I've been blessed enough to land a few jobs, and I know it's a direct effort of all of the hard work and late hours I put in immediately after getting home from my "9 to 5" job. And because of those blessings, I can't help but wonder how much more work I could pull in if I was able to dedicate all day to my artistic efforts, instead of just a few hours after working 8 hours in an office.
That brings me to the subject of finding the balance between my creative endeavors and my regular day job. As most of you know, I work a regular office job that has absolutely nothing to do with art. This is a conscious choice I've made since I've been out of college. Obviously a big reason was that I needed money. But the other big reason was that I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do career-wise. Working a "9 to 5" enabled me to earn money, but not occupy my mind with any type of intense workload on a daily basis. I've worked many types of jobs, most of which have been with small businesses, and I've been able to pull lessons from each place on how businesses are run. I've managed to form close relationships with my bosses, who happened to be the owners and founders of these businesses, and learned from them. It's helped me grow and hone my skills as a businesswoman, and that's what I've needed more than anything. Creating is easy. I can draw in my sleep..hell, I HAVE drawn in my sleep! But the business side of things...that's what's hard. Contracts and invoices and taxes and estimates...all of the administrative stuff alone makes my head swim. But it's obviously necessary in order to keep my illustration business going. And the biggest thing I've learned from all of the jobs that I've worked, is that one of the hardest bosses you'll ever have, is yourself.
The place I work at knows about my illustration endeavors and supports them, as long as I get my job done while I'm on their time. And I know when that inevitable time comes, when my business grows big enough for me to have no choice but to support it on a full time basis, I know I will have their blessings and support. But until that time comes, I have to approach both with the same kind of determination. Because at the end of the day, they are trying to accomplish the same thing I'm trying to do...be successful.
