Working for myself has many challenges. As the business owner and sole employee I have to do everything from purchasing the clay I use to create my ceramics to selling my pottery online or at festivals. I am the mail room clerk in the case of online sales and the box toter in the case of festivals. I mop the floors of the studio while also being the CEO and CFO. It can be a bit stressful.
Working for myself has many benefits as well. One of my favorite things is being able to adjust my schedule. When working for others my schedule is set by someone else and I have a small amount of input. I can ask for time off, but I still a still have to be somewhere fat an agreed upon time and once set, that time is inflexible. As an entrepreneur the work week is more fluid and bleeds beyond Monday thru Friday, 9 to 5. I have to create a schedule for myself and stick to it. Another benefit is that I can work in things that I want to do, like walks.
I’ve never been much of a runner so walking helps keep me fit. Walking clears my mind and makes room for ideas to bubble up from my subconscious. The ideas worm their way into my work. I also stop to take pictures which will spark further ideas. A lot of my work is inspired by nature so walking outside tends to replenish the bank of imagery I use in my drawings and ceramics. Now that phones have cameras in them, I can stop to take pictures of plants and scenes which catch my eye and eventually they find their way into my art.
Artists are collectors — of images, objects, feelings, words, ideas, anything that strikes their fancy. They may not have an immediate connection to the art they create; they may have to sit with an idea or look at an object before their mind makes a connection. It may take an hour or it could take years, then something clicks in your brain you know how to use these things/images you have collected. The trick is to create the space that allows your brain to work and make connections without forcing it.
Lil Bee Writes 