Who would have thought?

I was sitting at my computer the other day listing my new table numbers and moving cards thinking that if you would have asked me last year at this time where I thought I would have been now, I never would have answered you like I am now. NEVER.

I'm selling to strangers. Yes. Strangers.
I'm sewing.
I'm looking into designing fabric (stupid step-and-repeat)
I'm letterpressing.

Up until now, I had been selling to friends, friends of friends, family or friends of family. Now, people I've never met (or maybe "met" in the forums or in blog world) are interested in my work. They like what I'm doing enough to pay me for it... and it's a great feeling. It's a great feeling to feel like I'm moving forward and I'm making progress- steadily and not clumsily. I feel like I have a firm grip on my growth and in some way I'm in good control of it... even if I'm really not. I have wholesale inquiries and friends and family finally coming to me asking for goodies. They "get" it now, I think. They see it- literally. All the freebies and handouts paid off... now they get a few extra business cards to hand out with each order. ;-)

The Creative 365 is really motivating me to do SOMETHING, no matter how small, to keep me moving. I'm very excited that I'm ready this year with my
calendar (a year in the making project... got stuck on July...), I have a good amount of goodies in my shop (and still more ideas to add to it) and I have the luxury of opening a second shop, TheLittleMrs, for my sewing goodies, if I ever get to that point.

I've never been one to really get too concerned over views or hears, but i have over 100 people that "heart" me (and I heart you for hearting me!) and according to majaba, I have over of 3000 views in my shop. I'm sure for some, that's chump change. For me, that's amazing. I never thought my work would reach that many sets of eyes, so I'm in complete humbleness (is that a word??).

I'm setting big goals for myself for next year. But, I'm prepare to alter my goals to make sure I stay grounded, keep time for my family and produce nothing but work that I am proud of. I'm finding myself having these ideas for designs, but then realizing that yes, I could do that, but it's not really what I WANT to do... so I might take a little time to work it out for myself, but not the time to photograph, list, describe, etc. because it's not what I'm excited about. I only want to sell things I'm excited about and not things I know or think will sell... and I've done a pretty good job so far of editing myself when it comes to those types of projects.

At the end of the year, I'll share my goals. They will have nothing to do with x amount of sales or x amount of hearts because those are things that are out of my control. sure it's healthy to do a forecast and set monetary goals, but in not hitting them, it should not make you feel as if you are a failure.

I'm extremely excited for the rest of this year to pan out (I'm a few dollars shy of my yearly profit goal) and plan for next year.

my motivation?

ask my two favorite shadows...