The morning battle is real. Today, it feels extra hard.
I've set aside my mornings for administrative work. You know, the boring stuff. For some people, administration might be the highlight of their day, but today? I just want to stay in bed.
Being sick and dealing with the pain of two injuries certainly isn't helping. My mental space isn't in the best place this morning, and even the simplest tasks feel like they require more effort than I have to give.
Don't get me wrong. I am so excited to have my new studio up and running again! There's so much I want to do, so much I want to make, and so many ideas floating around in my head. But then there's the hard part.
Getting other people to be as excited as I am.
I need to attract new followers on social media, promote my online shop, and sell some of my older work to make room for new creations. I need to put together a campaign to sell myself and my art.
And let's face it, that's not always easy.
My art is a piece of me. It's a part of my heart and soul that I put on display for the world to see, appreciate, or judge. Putting yourself out there like that takes courage. It means opening yourself up to opinions, comparisons, and the possibility that people might simply scroll past without a second glance.
Still, if I want to keep creating and sharing my work, I have to put myself out there. I have to tell people what I'm doing and invite them into my world.
Which brings me to this blog.
I'm putting more of myself out there this time around. Not just my artwork, but the person behind it. The good days, the frustrating days, and all the messy bits in between.
Will my posts be consistent? Nope!
Will I always write about my work? Probably not.
Will I always be my authentic self?
Damn straight I will.
This is a journey, not a sprint. And I want to share the journey as it actually happens, rather than only showing you the polished version.
That means I'll talk about how my personal life affects my ability to work, especially when my body has other plans. Like right now, when a mild sinus infection is making me ridiculously sleepy and two injuries are reminding me that I'm not exactly operating at full capacity.
And then there are the other challenges of working from home.
I have four cats, after all. Sometimes one of them decides that whatever I'm doing at my desk is far less interesting than whatever they can knock over, bat around, or sit on.
I'm talking about you, Ash.
Because life doesn't stop when you're trying to run an art business. Sometimes you're inspired and ready to take on the world. Sometimes you're staring at your to-do list, wondering how on earth you're going to get through it. And sometimes the best you can do is acknowledge that today isn't your day and try again tomorrow.
I'm learning to accept that, too.
So, whether you join me on this journey or not is entirely up to you. But if you're ever curious about what's happening in my studio, what I'm working on, or what's going on behind the scenes, feel free to drop in.
I'll be here, doing my best to make art, keep the business running, and figure it all out as I go.
Just don't expect me to post every morning. Especially if Ash has other plans.