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Friday, September 19, 2003

reality 
Ok. Here we are at Friday again. I am working on many projects for many upcoming events, finishing up design projects and paintings due. I have delivered art this week to a dog day care and I have already received new commissions as a result of dropping that order off. Things really are moving in the right direction. I am a busy lady! "She must be raking it in!" you think. But want a reality check from a freelancer? Someone that is "doing it on their own?" I know many of the people that read this are either doing it themselves, or want to. I just want to give you a glimpse of how it can really be. (NOT for all, but I know for many of us "doing our own thing" people out there this is common story.)

A typical week: Today I got an email from a dear client who asked me 2 weeks ago to hold a $300 check, he still needs me to hold it. Yesterday, I got an email from a design boutique that I worked my butt off two weekends ago for that said I may or may not have my $420 check by mid week next week. Call if I don't get it by Wed. Thanks. Last week I bounced 3 checks because the day I was told I could pick up a $450 check and I went to pick it up (1 hour round trip) I got there and was told it had accidentally been mailed. I got it 3 days later. This was all design work. As far as painting, well I get half up front and get the rest upon delivery. My painting clients are awesome! I have about 8 paintings in line, but because of design jobs, I have put them in back of the line, therefore no money until I get to them. I have a festival this weekend where I should make a decent amount of money, but there are no guarantees. I have done these fundraisers before with much success, I have also walked away after 8 hours with nothing. (ok, that only happened once, but still ya never know.) I love, LOVE what I do, which is the ONLY reason I keep slugging away at this day after day. Because that not knowing when the money is coming? Well, I won't sugar coat it, that can really suck. And for any of you that didn't know? My husband freelances as well. Double suck. There should be a law that states artist cannot marry each other. Artisits MUST marry an accountant or lawyer, ya know someone STABLE! Kidding!!

Now, as I write all this, you may think I am down, sad, even bitter. No! On the contrary! Even with all the down sides, the up sides FAR exceed the negatives! Plus, there is a real high when we do make it each month without a phone shutting off, or the gas company calling...again. When that check comes in at just the last minute to cover the bills and mean we can eat? That rocks! Is living like this for everyone? No. Does every person working on their own experience this? Absolutely not. I quit my fulltime job without a dime in the bank, better planning might have helped. I tend to be a jump right in kinda gal - not always the smartest thing. I tell you these things to help you plan, to give you a glimpse that while working for yourself can be scary, but mostly I want to tell you that with passion for what you do, it WILL persevere over the bad things. And in time, those bad things, like waiting on money all the time, will go away because you cannot fail if you do not stop trying. And with all this, I consider things going really, really well. People love my art and buy my art. I make people smile with my art. That, to me, defines success, not my bank account.

And taxes...let's just say I owe the government my firstborn....

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

right where I should be 
I have a million things that I want to do. My mind is constantly buzzing with ideas and I never seem to have enough time to do them all. Yesterday as I dropped off some art to sell at Camp Woof, a very cool doggie daycare, the owner said something wonderful to me. She said, "Michelle, no one out there is doing what you do, your time will come for everything you want to do. You don't have to force it, because the doors will open up when they are supposed to." That calmed me down so much. We had been talking about a new dog boutique that had just opened up around the corner and how my art would be perfect there. I wanted to call and schedule a meeting with the owner, but I also knew that I cannot handle one more thing on my plate. And that felt like opportunity was passing me by. That is when I have to remember those words. "The doors will open when they are supposed to." In the meantime, I need to focus on all the tasks at hand and just keep crossing things off my 'to do list' to make room for my 'want to do list.'

And throughout all this I will keep that seductress called fear at bay. Even though I have all these things happening, I still can hear that little voice calling my name, telling me how it can all fall apart at any moment. There is not an ounce of evidence for that, yet still I find myself stopping and listening from time to time. Powerful, that fear gal, ain't she? I have concluded that there is actually something comforting in fear and that is why we graviate towards it. She can keep us in all our old familiar patterns just by listening to her. If I choose to go forward instead, listening to my heart instead of fear, that is scary. But scary is not even remotely like fear. Fear paralyzes, while scary can be exhilarating if we allow ourselves to feel it. So I will put my hands out, blinded by the future and trust that all the scary feelings are leading me exactly where I should be going, in exactly the timeframe I should be doing it.

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

almost big enough 
Last night my daughter woke up to get a drink of water. She then came and found me painting and asked me to tuck her back in. As I followed her sleepy, wobbly walk I noted that she was half of my height. When did my little baby girl get so big? Then today on the way to school, I asked her, as I do every morning, "Can I drop you off at the door or do you want me to walk you in?" She always exclaims with a bit of fear in her voice that she is not ready for drop off like "the big kids" and needs to be walked in. Today though, she hesitated. It caught me by surprise. She said, "Not today Mama, maybe tomorrow. I am feeling a little bit bigger lately." Ouch. I have never been one of those parents wishing my children stay small and dependent forever. As a matter of fact, I have envisioned myself pushing my children to explore, travel, do that semester abroad, travel cross country. But still, today, I found myself realizing that the saying that time flies is too true.

On my way home I saw a brand new baby carrier box at someone's sidewalk. A new baby had just been brought home from the hospital. Someone in that house was experiencing those sweet, new emotions you never realized were possible that only your new baby can bring. Quicky my mind flashed to my 23 year old self, 1 month out of art school and bringing home a baby I had no idea what to do with, but sure it was about to be the best thing that had ever happened to me. I could never have imagined how my life would change. These past 7 years have literally flown by and the feelings I had today as I walked an "almost big enough" five year old down a school corridor were as sweet as when I first began this amazing journey of being a mom.

Monday, September 15, 2003

enough bones to go around 
So this weekend when my husband briefly came home for the day-he is already gone again...sigh...and we went to the local farmer's market. We love going there as a family as it is always an adventure. We see the fish and lobster, try new cheese, pick out a great bottle of wine, get some gourmet chocolate, try a new fruit, you get the picture. I have been meaning for a week now to get the dogs some good hearty meat bones while I was there. You just go to the meat counter, ask em for a leg bone, and for about $1 a pound, your dog is in cow heaven. I got $8 dollars worth of bones with meat still all stuck to the bone - it is A LOT of bone! So I get home and give one to each of the dogs. I have ever done this before so I am just eager to see them go nuts. Well, Lucy, the world's sweetest dog on the planet decides she wants both bones. She won't let Rufus near them. I mean, these are huge, there is more than enough for each dog. All day long poor Rufus just watches Lucy. At one point I tried to give Rufus his, but he wouldn't even accept it if Lucy was there. Then, last night I was watching tv after the kids were asleep and gave Rufus one of the bones and put it near me on the floor. He went to go sniff it and Lucy barked so loud it scared Rufus right into my lap! (Have I mentioned he is about 100lbs?? and a baby??) I figure I should not get involved and should let them work it out. Rufus, the big brave dog that he is, ended up sleeping with me last night. Still shaken up from the bark I suppose.

So here we are to this morning. I just dropped the kids off at school, have coffee brewing and I decide one last time to give Rufus his chance. I give him the bone, and this time he grabs it quick! I guess he decided this is his chance! He races to the back door, I open it and he runs out with his bone! Here is the funny part. Lucy, the greedy dog she is, runs after him! I am not kidding! She leaves her bone to go chase Rufus! They chase each other around the yard for like 5 minutes. When Lucy sees he is not giving it up she comes back up the stairs and sits on the landing watching him. He is out (in a drizzling rain I might add) sitting in the grass happily chewing on his bone-finally. Meanwhile, Lucy is so concerned with having both bones, that she has niether. She does not want to take her eyes off Rufus, so she can't go get her bone in the liviing room.

Now I know I don't have to point out how very human my two dogs are being and the obvious analogy that can be made. Instead, just go share your bones today! There is plenty for us all!

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