What does it mean to “take life by the reins”? Well, hopefully if you are a well-trained horsewoman, it means that you lead gently but confidently, as life is not something to be jerked around this way and that. At the end of May, I took my life reins and I handed in notice at my job. After almost 3 years there, we had achieved the financial goals we had set out to, and I was well and truly burned out. I am proud to announce that I am now my own boss!
I have taken this past week “off” to give myself some decompression time (and may need another week due to the inferno currently taking over the PNW) and have spent my time resting, hiking, working in the studio, and helping a dear friend prepare to move across the country. There are a lot of details to organize and plenty of lists full of items to check off, but most of all I am excited to get back into the studio!
Over the last few months, even at the end of a long and arduous day staring at excel sheets and numbers, I would often turn to my studio for respite. There is something about creating with your hands and the alchemy of metalsmithing that brings me so much peace. I can actually feel this moment of “Zen” pass through me—my body and mind just relax in relief. I know running my own business won’t always feel that way, but at the end of the day, any stress will be for MY own business, not someone else’s.
So, what is next? A whole lot of creating, applying for grants, shows, mentoring, etc. I am working on designing a new daily/weekly routine that will include all of the necessities of business as well as gardening and hiking with Ziggy. As much as I would love to have everything pre-prepared for this and all details in place, I know that I will learn a lot along the way and be able to adjust accordingly.
Sometimes you just have to….
Leap and the Net Will Appear!