Etsy-fying

Sometimes I forget that a startup takes more time than anticipated. That you need to envision it, plan it, and double it—money and time—just like a remodeling project and other things with numerous moving parts. I am remodeling my life, after all.

“She was never meant to be a common creature —
extraordinary takes time.”
~ Curly Girl Design

The crazy weather here has had me all mixed up energetically, with gloomy skies and humidity making me feel sluggish and the whipping winds and rainstorms creating restlessness. But I push on, trying to plan for what’s next.

Only now I am realizing that after spending so much time on Custer Fair preparation it is normal to have a bit of post-deadline blues, and to feel purpose-less when the big event has passed.

“What is success?
I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing;
knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work
and a certain sense of purpose.”
~ Margaret Thatcher

This week I am preparing the remaining Custer pieces to be uploaded onto Etsy.

Photographing them is fun, because you see new shapes in what seemed to be abstract pieces.

Coming soon to Etsy: Infinite Love Hug by Maike’s Marvels

Getting the ‘modeling’ shots right is still a lot of trial-and-error, and feels a bit narcissistic at times. But I do not feel bad about my neck!

Naming pieces is harder, because there are so many of them right now. It is hard to be witty when writing a lot of listings at a time. I always feel like other people have much better descriptions of their art than I do. So I quote Roosevelt like a mantra: I am doing what I can with what I have, where I am.

All the posing, photographing and listing loading is making me feel ‘behind’ on other things, like tending to the house and getting back into the studio.

I got more feather butterflies in and look forward to seeing how they want to be wrapped.  There are numerous other ideas milling about in my head, along with suggestions from others, and I have to calm my hyper brain down to not completely frazzle myself.

Meanwhile kids are celebrating summer outside, having me long for those carefree vacation days. Cue the internet from which various messages are telling me to take a breath and stop twirling and shoulding so much.

“Go, live.  Be gentle with yourself and with others.”
~ Being Breath

So I’m going to be nice to myself and actually turn the remaining Independence Day week into a true holiday. I have a short trip scheduled, which is a good impetus to take a brain-vacation.

“Smile because something makes you smile.
Laugh because you’ve surrounded yourself
by people who make you laugh,
and they’re funny [bleep] people, and you’re happy to be with them.
Dance because you’re drunk at a big dance party
with your friends and Michael Jackson is playing,
not because ‘no one is watching.’
Everyone is watching.
We’re at a [bleepin’] party. That’s how parties work.”
~ Katherine in
Twelve Habits of Happy, Healthy People
Who Don’t Give a Shit About Your Inner Peace

Enjoy the Fireworks tomorrow, and have a good Independence Day Holiday yourself.