Tomorrow I'm planning on opening up shop again. Being productive in my new studio feels so good and I can't wait to show you all the fun new designs and products I've been working on.
Here's the thing though. I want to open with a bang and throw confetti in the air and have a shop absolutely brimming with new products. But even though I've spent many hours in my studio, there are only a handful of new pieces ready for listing. Life has changed so much since I first opened shop almost four years ago. Back then, I could sit and paint for hours on end without even getting my tush out of the seat. My days look different now. I alternate between drawing new designs and throwing the ball with Si. Painting canvases and feeding him lunch. Not to mention keeping him from eating every little thing on the floor and sticking his hand in the toilet bowl. It's a disjointed kind of work day and I'm still working on the balance of it all.
I had a very eye-opening conversation with Chris a few days ago. We chatted about my role in the family and what I want it to look like. He left it wide open for me to say that I want to pursue blogging and art full-time. He knows that's a passion of mine and has always encouraged me in it. But I know without a doubt, that right now I'm called to be a wife and a mom first. With this realization, it occurred to me that it is completely okay not to have a massive grand opening for my shop. It's okay that I probably will only be able to have a handful of pieces for sale at a time and heck, my shop may even sit half-empty for awhile. It's okay for my online life to be a hobby and not a career.
I absolutely love calling myself an artist and a blogger. I love sharing my art with you and hearing how it brightens your day and your walls. I love that part of my identity, but it is not and cannot be my whole identity. Ultimately, my identity comes from the One who made me. Resting in Him for my identity gives me more peace than I could ever find while struggling on my own to be successful as a blogger, artist, mom, and wife. It feels like a sigh of sweet relief when I can just 'be' instead of 'do'. To not struggle to be everything to everyone.
All this to say, things will be a bit more chill in the shop, but still just as colorful-- don't you worry about that part.
How do you balance family and business? Did you ever have a time where you felt it necessary to slow things down a notch? Do you struggle in placing too much weight in certain parts of your identity? I'd love to hear your thoughts!