The end of the year always marks a time of reflection for me. While I may not necessarily come up with resolutions for the coming year, I do re-evaluate what I have accomplished in the previous one.
2010 is nearly over and it has been an amazing year for me as I have moved from working part-time to full-time in my efforts as a crochet designer.
I have sold 10 designs this year to various magazines and yarn companies. Some that will not be published until 2011 and others that are currently available to crocheters.
I have spent countless hours swatching and sketching design ideas for submissions to magazines and yarn companies. As well as working on designs for publishing in my independent line of patterns.
I have discovered that I was actually doing much more work in my life before going back to “work” than I realized or credited myself with. The fact that my time is taken up with “work” work instead of those other tasks has made that abundantly clear.
I love to design. I love to teach about crochet and healthy crafting. I love to crochet for myself, gifting and charity. But I am also realizing the limits on my time and energy as well as the importance of being needed.
My sons are quite young still. They have made it rather clear in the past few months that they still need me and my attention. The last 8 years have gone by in a flash and soon enough, they will be far too independent. So I am looking at how to find balance between what they need from me and what I need to do as a designer.
The next 4 months will be about finding greater balance with my work and home life. That may mean focusing more on my blogging and Independent Pattern line. Possibly the opening of my Etsy shop. All things that allow me flexibility with my deadlines.
As much as I enjoy working with editors and creative directors in the Magazine and Yarn business the deadlines are often quite tight. If one of my children becomes sick or my husband has to travel for business it can really make it challenging to meet those deadlines.
Being a re-covering Perfectionist I get very stressed if I can’t meet a deadline. I hate to let down editors or others that are counting on my project to be in on time.
The interesting thing is, slowing things down is in many ways an act of faith. Faith that my skills will continue to grow and that I will find the opportunities that I need at the right time. I hope you, my friends and readers will join me in this journey of faith.
The importance of being needed is key, especially what we need from ourselves.
Mamas2Hands 