this is week #2 of my creative life mini-series.
last week the focus was on five guest bloggers + their tips on living a creative life: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and this week the focus is on sharing five different applications i currently use to live a creative life and how they’ve transformed my mindset into something incredibly inspiring and freeing.
my challenge is for you to start living the creative life you dream of living. find the charm in NOT knowing how to be discouraged with this so you never feel discouraged. be brave. be a do-er instead of a dreamer :)
ok, let’s get started!
* * *
tip #2: have a defined “end of work” day
it sounds simple but this has been hugely transformational for me. instead of spending 12+/- hours a day thinking about work and/or working, i’m spending about 10 hours a day actually working. i realized something needed to change with my work habits + schedule when i started noticing how discouraged i was feeling about work. i absolutely adore my job as owner/designer of gussy sews, so this was a big wake up call for me. little things were becoming big things ~ my motivation was flying out the front door frequently because i didn’t have defined work/play boundaries. ohhhh, it was hard to get back on track but it’s been sooo great!
here are a couple of steps i took to have a more defined “end of work” day:
* the first step i took was no blog reading or facebook on weekends >> i didn’t like feeling like i was never doing enough, and while this was mostly a self-induced thought i knew i needed to stop these thoughts. by having a 2-day break on the weekends i come to work on monday morning feeling super refreshed. i’ll use twitter or instagram on weekends {@gussysews} but those are easier on my heart/creative mind because they are quick, visual updates.
* the second step i took was to start reading books for fun >> within the last few weeks i’ve read “do you know who i am“, “safe haven“, and i’m currently reading “the glass castle“. reading is a fun way to disappear into another time or storyline. right now i’m enjoying lite reading, something i can start + stop easily :)
* another tip that’s helped me have a defined “end of work” day is to cook healthier/more elaborate meals >> i shared more about this yesterday. once it’s time to cook dinner there’s no going back to work, haha! dinner time is now double exciting.
* a fourth step i took was to combine all of the above tips {no computer time on the weekend, read leisure books, cook healthy/elaborate meals} as motivation to be hardcore focused during my workday >> i try to spend some time pampering myself in the morning, like by taking a hot shower or using pretty smelling shampoo. then i have breakfast, drink my coffee, review emails/computer stuff. THEN i start on that days main project: sewing, blog post writing, collaborative planning with cambria, etc. here’s what i’ve found: when i’m the most alert i produce the best work, so it’s important i’m focused during the day so i can enjoy my evenings with zack. i’ve also found that setting firm deadlines, like “all work needs to be complete by 6:30pm” has helped. when i’m walking bauer i like to dream up new ideas, then i’ll spend some time developing that idea into a project/post/etc. THEN i take action :) having this defined time to develop a concept has helped me stay hardcore focused during my workday.
* my last tip is to let go of what i THINK should happen and focus more on what i WANT to happen >> i’m working at being a better cheerleader for myself. i’m letting go of the Shoulds and Coulds and am focusing on the Necessities, with a little room for the Wants ;) and ya know what? this is surprisingly clearing up my work schedule so i can easily have a defined end to my workday. every once-in-a-while i have to remind myself who’s boss, but that’s OK! little reminders are good.
♥ i’ve also felt like these changes have helped zack and i to deepen our marriage/friendship, which is so amazing! we have always been proud of our closeness, but now it seems like we’re even closer. BONUS! ;D
HOW ABOUT YOU: which tip would you benefit the most from applying? what tip can you relate to the most, in terms of “YES that works for me, too!”? do you feel like having a defined end to your work day is important, or are you OK with it not having separation from work + play? share with us below… xo
Great tips. The “no internet” on the weekends would be something I should try.
I love to read so I already engage in reading for fun.
And can I just say your hair is looking fab, girl!? Lovely.
ohhhhh you’re so good to me :) thank you for the sweet compliment!!!
no internet on the weekends has seriously been amazing! mainly for my self esteem, but also for creativity and weekend peace ;)
P.S. Thanks for mentioning “The Glass Castle”. It was one I wanted to read, but could not, for the life of me, remember the title!
you MUST read it — last night while reading i came to the point in the book where it all started making sense. it was great up to that section but now i’m DYING to read it some more and finish the book :)
“let go of what i THINK should happen and focus more on what i WANT to happen >> i’m working at being a better cheerleader for myself.”
i need to be a better cheerleader for myself. i often have the voices of “others’ in my head. often people want me to make such n such for them, or such n such for a cheaper price. i don’t answer right away, but i analyze the project. is it a one time deal? is it a complicated pattern that i have to learn once. is it something i could add to my line & have fun making it a million times over?
i do take people’s suggestions (gussy, do you get suggestions?) but i often smile and say great idea. i have read the book boundaries several times over and practice boundaries daily. so having a bit more backbone, i turn down the one time deals that would take up a lot of time….. like disney princess dresses for a friends kids for when they go to disney. she showed them to me on etsy, and i said no, buy them from the lady that made them. i would love to do it, but time wise, i can’t.
thanks for these tips, so appreciative. often when we are being sifted it can be painful, but the outcome is beautiful and we can often help others through what we have learned.
have a great day!
I encountered this yesterday – someone sent me another person’s Etsy listing and asked me to make it! I was a little miffed and I still haven’t responded. Do I do the request simply for the business and to keep the customer happy? Do I turn them to the Etsy seller they found the product at? I, for one, would be upset if someone sent one of MY listings to another handmade artist and asked them to replicate it exactly. I’m struggling with what I should say and how I should handle it! Saying no has got to be the hardest part of this business – knowing my boundaries is tricky but I’m learning them daily. I loved your comment – thanks for sharing it!
xoxo
saying no gets easier when you know what you stand for and what your limits are. running a handmade business, a household, an outside job & raising kids & a husband, i have learned what my limits are. i had a friend want me to make her a cushion cover for a bench, but she wanted to buy the material. she thought that was the saving point. when in reality, the fabric is cheaper than my hourly labor costs and she wanted a set price. i didn’t quote her a price because i had not even talked to her in great depth. i wasn’t going to guess at how long it would take me to do it blindly. people don’t realize that your hourly cost is more than the materials. paying myself fairly is the hardest part, but it’s getting easier. needless to say, she never got back with me about it & i’m okay with that.
good luck on your decision. that’s just what my other girlfriend did to me except in person. i quickly said no. i encouraged her to support the original makers of these items instead of me.
in situations like this i fully encourage you to put yourself in the other persons shoes: if your shop listing was presented to another designer, would you want them to replicate YOUR work? probably not.
a simple explanation, stating you don’t believe in replication another designers work however you’d love to create a custom product for them based around your talents + designs. then provide a quote, including labor, materials, profit + overhead costs.
we receive suggestions all the time — and most are really great suggestions, but it comes down to i can’t do them all so ~ there’s not enough time in the day to do so. i do normally write them down to reference them later. but we’re always appreciate of suggestions + tips. they are a HUGE insight into what people are looking for and to totally disregard them would be foolish. just remember to take advice/suggestions in strides… appreciate that they are thinking of you and your business but keep in mind you are the owner/designer :)
I totally agree…I get so many suggestions for things I should make. Which I totally appreciate. I love the insight from my customers on what they are looking for. Some of my products have come from vague suggestions that I ran with! But like Katy said, I have to try to find a balance between taking suggestions and deciding what I can do with them, or realizing that a person is thinking that having me make it for them will save them money. When a person comes with a suggestion because they are DYING to have me make them a bag, I’m happy to work with them. They see the value of handmade. But I have yet to find a simple way to say no to the others without FEELING like I sound arrogant or rude, like I don’t like their idea :/ Sounds like it’s more of an Angie problem when I read it back,lol!
maybe a quick, “thanks SO MUCH for your email + suggestion! i’m not accepting custom orders at this time but i so appreciate that you thought of me! xoxo, angie”
then, as you are able to accept custom orders — the ones you want to accept — you can open that queue back up :)
Great idea….then even if I’m sitting around with out many orders, if it’s an ugly idea, I’m being nice, PLUS I sound super busy, :D
But seriously, great advice I think I’ll take it!
oh goodness, i’m afraid i wasn’t clear in my comment. don’t lie or mislead customers, but do be honest with yourself, if you have time for custom orders then you can accept them. if you don’t have time, don’t accept them.
No, I”m sorry, that was totally meant as a joke ;) I knew exactly what you meant… I wouldn’t really do that!
I love this series – thank you. X
I love all of these tips and I can see how they would definitely be of help to someone who is already working their dream from home and needed to make that distinction between “work” and “live” at home. How did you balance your time when you were still working full time + doing Gussy Sews? How did you know how to prioritize your time and what was important for your business (and getting to the point where you could do it full time) and versus making sure your life outside of full time work + Gussy Sews was still fulfilling, restful, inspiring and quality time with your husband? I feel like that is where I am at this point. Trying to stay on top of everything (even after I feel like I have eliminated a lot of what I “should” be doing) I still feel overworked and frumpy at the end of the day! It gets frustrating but I know I have to work hard to get where I want to be. I just keep telling myself that every day… But a few tips in that area would most definitely be welcomed! :)
I feel the same way Skye! I still work full time too and there really is no boundaries in our house – its work all day, business all night/weekend. It is exhausting. Other half and I try to make Friday nights “our” night but as soon as he falls asleep I end up working. I include him on all the post office runs and shopping for supplies so that I actually feel like I see him (even though yes we live in the same house). I keep trying to tell myself that too that I have to work hard to get where I want to be but it is frustrating!
Any tips on how you balanced it all Maggie? when you were balancing day job plus Gussy (plus hubby plus puppy!)?
we adopted bauer about 6 months after i left my day job for gussy sews, so i wasn’t trying to juggle a puppy while prepare for indie biz. HOWEVER, i had so much going on i probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference, ha ha!
but to answer your question, i balanced it by knowing there would be an end to all the madness. i worked evenings + all weekend on gussy sews and then M-F 9am-5pm at my day job. it was near insanity. keeping the end goal in focus is what kept me going, honestly. i have learned i’m hugely motivated by a reward system, so i used this to keep my focus.
there is no simple solution. i don’t know how to grow a blog or handmade business overnight, and truthfully i’m not sure anyone does. the simple solution is to know it takes time — all good things take time to grow :) you have to show your persistence + talents to the world, earn their trust, and then — later — you are rewarded. this is such an exciting time for both of you. ohhhh, so so exciting!!!
a tip would be to see if there’s any way to simplify things. can you order shipping supplies + materials online? can you get them for a better price than you currently are? can you buy your postage online and have your mail man pick up the orders from your home? can you streamline your email system so you aren’t wasting time answering the same questions over & over & over & over? can you schedule posts in advance, keep an editorial calender for your blog, recruit 2-3 guest bloggers to post of you each month?
yes.
yes you can :)
these things will help you to balance the rest so you can keep your focus on the end goal ♥.
Thank you soooo much!! I am writing down your tips and you’re right, I can start doing many of those things!! Such an inspiration you are!! xo :)
i think this is such a fantastic question that i’d like to turn it into an exclusive blog post, instead of answering it here. is that OK? :) stay tuned! xoxo
Absolutely!! YAY! :) I can’t wait!
Love this! I usually try to stay away from the computer on the weekends, but I’m also super tempted to delete FB on my phone…I’m always getting distracted by it! Also, I think I need to define my workday better; some days, I just feel like I’ve been working & working all day, and then I’ll start again after dinner while the hubby is working on the computer. I need to set an end time and then do something else! :)
WONDERFUL TIPS!!!!! I like the idea of no blogs or facebook on the weekend. I don’t really keep up much on the weekend, its good to have that break. A set end of day would be nice too. Right now I work in a cubicle from 8-3:30 and then I work from about 8-10/11 on dresses. I don’t know if that something thats going to continue long term, but for now that’s what it looks like. I think I’m going to start taking a night off during the week for me and hubby time. He’s still #1 even though I have a list a mile long of things to do!
You are so organized and planned and thoughtful! I LOVE IT!
if selling those gosh darn dresses is something you could do for additional income then yes, definitely try to set boundaries. remember what we talked about today for pricing? materials + labor + profit + overhead (any expense not related to making your product but needed to keep your business running) = product price.
use that formula to help you price your dresses so the time you spend on them (away from your family) is beneficial to your family.
XO
I think having a defined workday is so important! If you don’t, you’re playing while at work, and less productive. Then later, when it’s time to relax, you’re all stressed about what you didn’t get done at work. I’m trying to get mine set right now, to be both more productive and more relaxed.
Such great advice Gussy! I’m going to try the no blogging/facebook on the weekend. I think that would help out a ton! I too read – so that is my calming time. Right now I don’t really have a time between work and play. I am a stay at home mom of two toddlers. So during the day I feel like I’m cramming everything in that I can. Cleaning, playing, activities, etc and so by the time they go to bed I try to focus on blogging & working on items for my shop. I really, really need to put an “end” to my day somehow. The past couple of days I have been getting up before the boys in the morning and I can do my blog stuff then & that is helping tremendously! But during their nap/quiet time I want to work & at night maybe work for an hour and then spend the rest of the night off. I dunno – that’s what I’m thinking, we will see if it works! :) Thanks for the great post!
i felt like i was cramming so much in that i wasn’t doing anything well. it was making me go a little craaazy ;)
thanks for your comment! i love the feedback + wish you a HAPPY, computer-free weekend… once the weekend actually gets here… in 3 more days, haha! ;D
I love this series Maggie! I can’t wait to read more of your tips! I really like the dinner/cooking ideas from yesterday and I am def going to try to implement them. Although, I leave the cooking to my other half because (1) he has more patience than I do and (2) he’s just plain better at it! But I’m totally down with making the meal plan and letting him cook away! :)
I love your tip to set boundaries. I hope that I can get better at that in the future! I still work full time during the day and then sew/cut/iron all night and weekend. It is starting to burn me out. I do try to take Friday nights off but if I am being really honest, as soon as my guy falls asleep (which tends to be kinda early on Friday because we always get pizza and eat way too much!) I end up bringing my ironing board or cutting table into the living room and work work work. I just feel so guilty knowing I have orders pending but I’m sitting on my bum watching tv. I know I shouldn’t and I know I need time to be an actual person as opposed to a forever worker-bee but that’s how it feels.
I love the reading idea! I have been reading business-y books, which is not the best idea before bedtime -oops! Time to dive into some leisurely books!
Awesome tips and I love reading everyone’s comments! :)
Michelle
ummmm, yes you need time for michelle! even if it’s just for an hour, or 45 minutes each day, you need this time. you will feel so refreshed and focused once you get back to work. it’s like a little nap, but for your heart :)
That’s right – my heart does need a little nap! ;) Thank you!!
I absolutely LOVE this series you are doing. So inspirational, and so REAL. We’re in the same boat relationship-wise (married to our best friend, no kids yet, furbabies to love on), and I feel like I can really relate to the way you are organizing your time. Your last tip in the post- YES. Spot on. Thank you for taking the time to do this series- each post has made it into my inspiration folder!
P.S. Looking forward to the next Handmade Husband post!
i’m trying to get Husband to finish writing it but i think he’s worried about HOW to write it — the topic he’s covering this time around is a little more personal :) i’ll let him know you’re anticipating his next post though. hehe!
There are certain things I know I need to do to stay on an even keel.
1. Stay on track with housework
2. Spend time daily reading the Bible/studying/praying
3. Craft
4. Read for pleasure
5. Get enough sleep
6. Put family first (before my shop)
7. Go for a walk/spend time outside (even in winter)
8. Have family dinners
9. Bake every week
10. Have fun time!
Yep that pretty much fills my day but it makes for a very good day :)
oh yes — sounds divine! :)
Right there with you, Skye! Ms. Gussy, I’m also curious to know if you have any tips on managing your time with a day job + handmade business + husband? Perseverance, of course. ;) But any additional tips would be fabulous! Thanks. :)
i replied to Sky’s comment saying i’d like to devote an entire blog post to it, there’s just so much to say than a comment would do… so stay tuned :)
You rock! Thanks, Gussy!
Just about every tip is something I’ve needed to hear. Since I work a zombie job on top of everything else I’m trying to start, my time is more limited right now…but I still need to remember that I have to take breaks & just enjoy some of my ‘spare’ time. One thing I just started doing again was reading a book FOR FUN! I’e been reading a lot of books about starting a creative business, which were very interesting. But it’s been way too long since I’ve gotten lost in a story & gotten away from the stress. Even just reading one small chapter a day has done wonders for me!
I think that the next tip I’m going to try is cooking more. My mister is an amazing cook, but I want to know more so that I can be of more help. He’s working on getting things in order to go to school full-time, so I figure I need to start learning now so I can take a little more stress off of him during hectic exam times. Plus it’s something that I’ve been fascinated with, but not mastered. I’m not a horrible cook, just not nearly as amazing as he is.
…or you two could learn to cook together! that sounds like so much fun. i’d love to take a cooking class with zack so we can learn to do this together :)
I love all your tips. You are one smart gal, Gus!!!
This one stood out to me:
“let go of what i THINK should happen and focus more on what i WANT to happen”
That is HUGE! Some of us just think too much.
Signing off now to go and DOOOOOOOOO!
P.S. Give that cute doggie a hug for me. He’s stolen my heart and I’m not even a dog lover! LOL
…LOL!
i’ll be sure to pass the message along to mister bauer! xoxo
*glances furtively around the room* How did you know I needed an end of day plan? Is there a hidden camera in here? ;) I really needed to read this today. Thanks.
Catherine Denton
one of the best series I have read in a long time…your SO REAL gussy!
I love the idea of having an end of the workday.
I also loved the cooking post.
I used to LOVE to cook, and it is something I’ve sacrified now that my business is sky rocketing. Who says I should have to sacrifice something so great for my family and I? Cooking is back on the daily “menu!” Thanks maggie!
Such a great post, Gussy! As a new blogger I’ve been feeling my time at the computer spiral a bit out of control so it’s really refreshing to read about the boundaries you set for yourself in blogging. I’m going to try to apply these tips as much as possible! Thanks again :)
Hi gussy!
I am just seeing this series and really love your tips! I have 3 babes too, so I found myself also feeling guilty for never being “present” anymore. At the beginning of the year I started taking the weekends off and you are so right it makes a huge difference. Sure I had to up my turn around time, but so far no one has seemed to mind. It was ME setting myself up for pressures. I had to step back to realize it. Good job on letting go of done of your “shoulds” too ;)
what an awesome feeling for you ~ setting guidelines that work best for you and you’re receiving full support from others on them!!! yeow! :D
Hi Gussy! Great series! I am loving all of your tips, and I have learned a lot from reading the comments left by other readers as well. A lot of smart ladies on this blog :) I have had to learn to juggle so much the past two years between being a mom to two young boys, a wife, and running a business from home. It can be a lot to handle on most days and sometimes very draining on me creatively. I find myself starting to get down on myself and then I start thinking “why am I not accomplishing XYZ, or why is so and so more successful than I am”. I have to remind myself that every business grows in its own time, and what others are doing is not necessarily right for MY business. Stepping back from sites like Pinterest, and reading too many blogs has also helped my creative side. I used to view so many projects by other crafters that I could barely have an individual creative thought. I now focus my time on reading blogs that bring daily inspiration to me in other ways (i.e. business tips, cooking, home decorating, etc.) This minor adjustment has made a world of difference in my creativity. Now if I could just figure out how to add more hours in a day to exercise some of this creativity I would be set!
your comment means so much to me! i am so happy you’re filling your time with positive, inspirational activities. and yes ~ you are so right! every business goes in it’s own time and every business is perfect and awesome in it’s own unique way. so happy for you that you know this :) xoxo
I love the glass castle!! Such a good book!
i’m curious, have you read her other book — half broken horses?
I started the book and really enjoyed it!it was neat reason about the authors mom as a little girl. I got busy as we were moving to a different state so the book took a back burner. I often wonder how the rest of the book went but someday maybe I shall finish it. Long comment short, I say it’s worth a read.
[…] ♣ I loved these tips from Gussy on how she lives a creative life. […]