I have been busy with the holiday season. Wrapping, making, wrapping. The studio is in chaos and this week, if I am honest, I am feeling a bit bah humbug.
I have decided to let some of my plans go. I had wanted to make lots of handmade gifts like I did last year but was quickly feeling overwhelmed and stressed as the days ticked by. I reminded myself that while I love making the holidays special for the people I care about-it’s also my holiday and I need to give myself space to enjoy this time as well. To focus on what matters. To have the reflective time that is so important to me and mostly, to feel cozy and joyful.
I have been extremely intentional in creating a life that is not busy. I don’t want to be forever running to and fro or with an endlessly long to-do list. I prefer to have space in my days to allow for inspiration and the unexpected opportunity to arise. I have shared here on the blog before that I sometimes struggle with finding the balance between living consciously, leaving space for inspiration and at the same time moving forward with the projects that are important to me.
I have managed to launch my Etsy shop last month. I am still filling it but launching it felt like a big deal. I wanted to make the Digital Holiday & Christmas Card designs I had worked on available in time for the holidays. There are so many more ideas I have and I doubt they will all be done in time for the holidays and that’s ok. I could feel myself going from building a business I love to feeling stressed by all the things I thought I had to be doing.
Is it possible to create a thriving business that you love (creative or otherwise) without feeling stressful? Can you earn the income you seek without having to work long hours and spending all your time and focus on aspects that do not fill your soul?
I believe you can.
I believe we are meant to do work we love and to receive the financial income that supports us. I don’t believe the way things have been done in the past are the way things are meant to be done and I believe there is a shift coming where we can enjoy what we do and be rewarded for it. I believe the world is thirsty for people who are living their authentic life and sharing that life without having to compromise on what is most valuable.
I am still working this all out but I have been thinking a lot about the digital detox I mentioned in the last podcast. I think that I am going to focus the month of January on the work I want to create in the way I want to create it. To let go of all the wonderful things I have seen my fellow artists creating and to instead focus on what it is I want to create and share. To really delve into who I am as an artist without thinking about who I should be to make a living as a an artist.
I will be sharing here with you of course as I go through this journey. I am going to spend the rest of December thinking about what this will look like and I will be giving you an update to let you know what you can expect here.
If you like, you can subscribe to my newsletter here and you will receive all the updates. Anything I update whether it’s a blog post, video or podcast goes out in the weekly newsletter. I really do keep it weekly (or less) so as not to bombard your inbox. If you would like to know about my digital greeting card and wall art shop you can sign up for that newsletter here.
So that’s all for today. I hope you are finding joy in the holiday season. Please comment below-I would love to hear your thoughts about what you are doing to take care of yourself this holiday season and also your thoughts on creating a life you love that loves you back.
Wishing you a beautiful week!
Until next time…
-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante
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