This is one of the most difficult things I find about working for myself. I love the flexibility and ability to work on projects that are devised by me, and although some of the admin and promotion of the birdwatching logbooks can feel a little tedious at times, I really enjoy running my own business.
I’m also finding time this year to experiment and enjoy pursuing my own art and trying new media and subjects – so important if a hobby becomes an income stream as burnout from having to pummel your once-joyful pastime through the rigours of marketing, rejection, disinterest and mild criticism that are inevitable when creating a product for retail. I’m fortunate in that I get a lot of compliments and good feedback, and the worst I have to deal with is underwhelming sales or no response so at least I feel confident in my product. This helps! I’ve been taking some watercolour classes and making sure to practise some form of art every day if I can, and enjoying the inspiration I get from working at Charleston Farmhouse. I’m filling up sketchbooks which always brings me happiness; sketchbook tours to follow soon.
There are times, however, when despite doing all the necessary things, the natural ebb and flow means I feel rather invisible, with lots of communications and possibilities “out there” but for whatever reason I’m waiting on replies, or nothing I do seems to resonate, or the numbers game of contacting prospective clients or stockists is temporarily not panning out in my favour. It’s easy to get demoralised, especially when I’m reliant primarily on birdwatching logbook sales to earn a living. I’m getting better at trusting the process, and using the quieter days to focus on my practice and improve my skills, or just do some fun stuff. One of my favourite ways to relax, artistically speaking, is to copy letters from various typefaces as I have a number of Stephen Heller reference books and it’s nice to have some favourite tv on in the background and potter around making shapes in gouache. The negative spaces are fun and they always turn out wonky as I draw them freehand, but I have a lovely lettering brush which is nice to use with its chisel tip.
I’ve also started a nature diary so I have some workshop fodder for Wilderness Wood in the upcoming months so I’ll be sharing that once I have done some more work on it. I will hopefully have news on the American project soon too but in the meantime, I’ll carry on with my letters.
Do you have a strategy for dealing with invisibility?
