I had a meeting with my business advisor yesterday.
It was a beautiful sunny day for the forty-five minute walk there, and I was really happy to be able to tell him about my success being featured in a Sunday supplement.
I am, he told me, doing a lot right – and my website had made him smile.
However, I could sense there was a “but” coming… and I was right.
The advice got serious. He said that I need to up my game. That I need to “rethink my offer”. That I should be concentrating my efforts on making proper textile art.
Ok so far. We have discussed this direction before.
But then he said that I need to stop pfaffing about “like a housewife doing a bit of sewing”.
And I should stop making cute owls and cats and suchlike.
On the one hand, I can see his point. I will never, could never, make a proper living from making cute cats. There just isn’t enough money in it, unfortunately.
On the other hand, I do love making them.
I see the danger of the cute things eating up all my making time for insufficient return.
But I don’t know much about art, I just know what I like. And I’m just not sure whether I can be the sort of textile artist he has in mind.
Perhaps I am just a housewife, doing a bit of sewing.
I have some hard thinking to do.
But rather than rushing back to get on with it, I took the long way home instead – via the charity shops.
As you can see, I found these rather nice – and bargainous – tins, which came home with me.
However, as well as collecting things I like, like the tins, I know that there’s still something else I need to collect…
My hard thoughts about what’s next. ♥
I so know how you feel. I have just dropped my littlest off at school and after 12 years at home saying “when they are all at school I can properly get going” that moment is here and its scary! Its not easy is it? I too had similar advice recently about getting serious and opening up the textile art and village side of things more, returning to my artistic roots and getting “real” about what I do. But that requires a whole lot of brave, eh?! Know that you are not alone and if it helps at all, I think he’s right. Can’t wait to see where you go next. X x
Collage, not village!
Thanks Naomi! It really does require a much bigger rethink than I had anticipated… It means finding my style all over again, instead of poddling along making a few bits, doing a few stalls, stocking up my online shop every so often…
And, unlike you, I don’t even have any artistic roots to return to!
It also means, if I follow his advice, dumping the one bit of my current work that actually brings in any money at the moment, for one that is completely and utterly untried and untested, which to me feels like madness!
Good luck with your own creative journey – let me know how it goes! x
Will do. Be brave. You don’t need artistic roots, just wings. x
I suppose some of the hard thinking is about how much you love the life you have now… Too much to give it up? – which you will if you become a successful textile artist. Your life will revolve around deadlines, business meetings, balancing budgets and toning down ideas to make them commercially viable. No more leisurely strolls in the sunshine, or lovely holiday time with the lad and his dad. Do you want to do this for the money, or for the love of making? If the former, go to it! If the latter, keeping it small and manageable whilst still having quality family time and the ability to pursue your other interests means you get the best of both worlds, but you’ll never be rich… I don’t envy you this dilemma. I’ve never regretted the move to downscale and recover my peace of mind, but it’s not for everyone.
Ahh, you’ve summed up the other bit of the dilemma perfectly Kate!
The problem is that as things are, our life is not financially sustainable. And rather than relegate my creative endeavours back to being an occasional hobby and go back to a “proper job”, I want to see if it’s possible to find a way of being creative and making ends meet, if I can. It’s only due to the fact that my parents died a few years ago and left me a nest egg that I can live the way I do at the moment, but that can’t last. Whether I love the life I have now or not, there is still hard thinking about the future to be done.
What about teaching? Your ‘How to makes’ have been featured in two big magazines lately, and there is a huge amount of interest in crafting, so why not do craft classes? Little ones first, at home, then maybe in local church halls etc – “Saturday Morning Sew and Sews”, workshops in making theme cushions, fabric jewellery and accessories, textile art … Would allow you to generate income and still leave time for creative wanderings, plus time to spend with your boys. You have a skill that many people would love to learn, and you would be a lovely guide x
Funny you should say that Sue…! That was my advisor’s other suggestion! I do have a basic teaching qualification and have run all sorts of non-craft workshops in the past for work (I used to teach voluntary organisations how to apply for funding). I’ve never wanted to be a teacher though, and don’t consider myself very patient!
But I do think I could deliver a decent appliqué workshop and will be looking into my options in that direction.
Hi modflowers,
ooh what a toughie. Best of luck with your deliberations. Most creative self employed folk have been through this, indeed some of us have never come out of the other side!
Make sure you have a Hansel & Gretel style breadcrumb trail to get back to some of the reason for doing this in the first place. Maybe a cat a week as a reward?!
Smiles
Ah, but I have been warned of the danger of “contaminating my brand” by continuing to make the cats etc!
I get great pleasure from reading your musings and seeing your passions developing into a business (sewing is my hobby).
My husband & I set up our own business about 9 years ago. It was as much about life style choices & working with clients we love, as making money. While it’s useful having input from others, don’t lose sight of what’s important to you, it’s all too easy to be driven by other people’s agendas. It’s hard to be great at something you don’t love doing.
Wise words Liz. Although unfortunately I seem to have managed to make a career out of being great at something I didn’t love doing (until I failed in spectacular fashion at my last job anyway!)
Which is why I’m not particularly keen to return to it!
You make beautiful things that people love to buy. So follow your bliss. Do what you love. Follow your heart and you will never make a wrong step. Your “business advisor” (hereinafter, “that clown”) is quite a piece of work, isn’t he? and he really showed his condescending and sexist hand in describing you—and it could be me, or any of us who has ever tried to turn a hobby into a money-maker—as a housewife doing a bit of sewing. WTF??? That clown clearly has no respect for what you are and what you do. Fire him and find someone who gets you, who gets what you want to do, who’s been there and can help you grow from where you’re rooted.
To be fair Cate, he did make that comment in inverted commas, to try to make a specific point about changing the way I see myself and taking myself seriously. He was talking about how I might be perceived, rather than how he, personally, perceives me. But I can see how it came across!
My problem is that after a day or two to think about what he said, I am still torn between agreeing with him and thinking “well, I’m not actually an artist so why would I pretend something as pretentious as that?”
I hate phoniness and pretension and my snobbery about the art v craft thing (which he definitely has!) is reversed! But we were talking about money and the point he was making is that people will pay more for art than they will for craft. Which is true.
Also, I’m terrible for lapping up advice at the time it is given and agreeing with every word, only to later think “well what do they know?” and ignore it utterly later!
Definitely go down the workshop route! Is there a lovely B and B near you who you could work alongside to offer a “craft retreat” weekend? As someone who hoards beautiful material for “that day when I will get time” the idea of a weekend in beautiful surroundings, crafty fun and experimentation, yummy food and good company away from city life sounds wonderful!
Yes, it does! I could do with a weekend like that!
Mapperley isn’t very picturesque though, so I would have to find somewhere else to do that!
Oh why, oh why, does life have to be about making decisions?! I can see your mans point of view, but be careful not to lose the love of creating itself. Getting serious will indeed mean deadlines and meetings etc… but you are so talented at ‘knocking up’ textile works of art. I have every faith that you can make it work…if you choose to go down that route. What does the Mister think?
Definitely one for some mulling over! You advisor has clearly decided that textile art is the way to make a living from your craft. I’d have a think about all the ways you could potentially make what you do now more profitable & avenues other than just getting hung up on textile art. I know classes were suggested above – maybe exploring is there is also any possibility of online classes with someone like Craftsy, selling kits or patterns as well as finished items which are less time consuming to produce, what about looking into an agent (although I know there’s a cost attached), or book deal. Random ideas but worth having a good think about all the possible avenues – not getting pushed into one.
Arrrgghh, the arts versus crafts debate… Personally I think that if people find your work beautiful and it makes them happy then that is in itself art. And you make a whole lot of beautiful stitchery which shared by your blog brings a lot of joy to a lot of people. You definitely shouldn’t worry about not having an “art” background – I’ve just been asked to take part in an art exhibition and all I’ve ever done is faffed around sewing at home so if I’m supposedly an artist then you definitely are! Whatever direction you take Modflowers in it is sure to be beautiful, and we your loyal followers will be there with you all the way. (Please keep blogging about it though!!). Xx
Aww, thank you Halcyon Threads! Don’t worry, I intend to keep on blogging!
I’m actually coming round to the idea that perhaps I don’t have to choose, that I can be both artist and crafter and they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Having come across the very inspiring Marna Lunt and Jess Quinn recently, they manage to straddle the art / craft fence quite happily and I’m much more drawn to following their example than trying to assume an identity that someone else has chosen for me.
Hi Sharon! Rather belatedly catching up with your post and all the interesting comments. I’ve been battling with similar things lately – whether to try and make my living from creative things (photography, sewing etc) – or whether to get a “proper job”. I know it’s very hard to make much money from handmade things, unless you make something that can be reproduced easily, like a digital design, or a piece that commands a high price tag. And there’s always the risk that you stop loving what you do, when you have to produce to deadlines, quantity, someone else’s brief etc…. I’m still weighing up getting a straightforward part time job that will allow me time to craft and play in my spare time – or whether to try and make a go of photography commissions, freelance work, etc. Add my chronic fatigue into the mix and it all gets rather hard. The only conclusion I’ve come to is that no decision is permanent – I think it’s good to try things and see how they go – you can always adapt/change your mind! I wonder if there is someone else you could talk to as a kind of mentor, perhaps someone you admire, who has the kind of business you would like to run? I find it can be really helpful to talk to those who have gone through similar struggles and come out the other side. Ultimately, you have to be comfortable with what you do/choose – it’s your life! Hope you get some clarity soon – then you can enlighten the rest of us 🙂