August is for Writing and Balance

I've struggled over the last year to get back into writing, as my jewelry business has become central in my life.  And its not that I dislike that, but writing is at the center of my heart.  Jewelry Design is special but not AS special.

At the end of July, I had listed over 200 items in my Etsy store, had close to 100 more made and not yet listed [due to fees] and was trying to save/raise money for a big trip at the end of September.  No shows or real plans for August at that point. I was out of a lot of supplies, so making things wasn't going to happen without funds and in general, the business would end up going on a sort of 'nap'.

I'd also received an email from the lovely Gabriela over at DIY MFA (Do It Yourself Master of Fine Arts) about an upcoming project/challenge they were doing called 'Conquer the Craft'.  For the first 29 days of August, you would receive a daily prompt meant to help challenge yourself in writing.  Most should only take about 29 minutes to do, but longer was ok.

The main goal was to push yourself AND get into the norm of writing.  I saw this as a godsend, since I wanted badly to write and just needed a push.

And there it was.

So I happily put aside the jewelry.  I had a few events at the start of September I could plan for, and figured I'd just deal with them when they happened.

But as we've passed the halfway point, I see that I was only half right.

I need to find balance in my muse.  Balance will help me to move on into the next few months, with 4 shows of various lengths, and keep my writing a thing.  A normal thing.

August is about balance.

Despite having no actual funds to buy supplies, I need to strive to build even pieces of jewelry or plot out designs, so when I can make that order I'm not floundering.  I need to work on my stories, even just background and time lines.

Instead of 30 min on my writing, I need 30 min on writing, 30 on the business, 30 on promotion and 30 here... TWO HOURS A DAY!!!

That's all my heart says I need to stress over.  Spend the other times cleaning, running errands, researching, do what needs to be done.

Grow past this broken place you've been in for too long.

August is about balance.

I'm not naive enough to know there won't be times when one overshadows the other.  Try as we might, total balance isn't in our control.  But I also know that I am tired of giving up halfway, tired of feeling trapped with one or the other and tired of barely getting by.

Tired of being only a WOULD BE Somebody.

Kristy C