One thing I realized is that those who are successful at living a crafty life have multiple streams of creative income:  selling work in various online and off venues, teaching, marketing their “how-to” products, testing and recommending (or not) new products and resources, representing craft manufacturing companies and travelling to train or support their wholesale customers and many more, I’m sure.  

We’ll get more into that issue later.  First of all, before even attempting a lifestyle change, forget everything you’ve been told about art or crafts being just a hobby and you can’t make money from playing.  Over and over, established artists talked of being creatively blocked by well-meaning family and friends early in their lives.  That’s the standard thinking, right?  Well, don’t believe it. Perseverance and passion for your work can make things happen. Now, I’m not saying you’ll be able to buy an island and live the life of a multi-millionaire, but that’s not the point, it is simply to have the time and funds to create, while living decently, whatever that means to you.

The other thing to get over is the “but is it art” thinking.  Please, have you seen some of the work labelled as art in the well-funded arena of public art? If it comes from your heart, from your spirit, expresses something, then it is art and will be appreciated by someone.   Don’t let people (family and friends primarily) demean your work choice, especially those who don’t have a similar creative spirit.

While learning new thinking, I discovered several new to me art forms.  As a victim of art/craft ADD, that too is not unusual.  I mean no offense to those who live with the daily challenge of ADD, but simply, I have trouble settling on one form and frequently jump from one to another and back again.  I guess that indicates I haven’t found my heart niche, though the one craft I always return to is bead embroidery.  

Fused glass bead embroidery pendant

We’ll talk more about the others next time.  Meanwhile, here’s a good article on the 6 steps of change that came to me today from womem to women.  

http://www.womentowomen.com/womenshealth/howtomakelifechanges.aspx

First, what is a crafty life?  To me, it is more than making a living from your chosen skill, it is filling your life with things, people and experiences that synergize with who you are.   For instance, my daughter always notices that creative people are friendly and we can usually connect fairly quickly, whereas, there’s more work involved in getting closer to non-crafty types, for me.  

Of course, you naturally gravitate to those who fit your comfort zone,we learn that early on, but thats not always possible.  We currently live in a southern community surrounded by farms, rather than the buzz of a NW city that I’m used to and prefer, so outwardly artsy folk or places are harder to come by.  In contrast, farming families have given me a huge appreciation for those who produce our food.  It is an amazingly hard life with many uncertainties, but for most, they would have no other. 

Back to the subject.  So, the basic element of a crafty life is, of course, preferring to spend your time with your art or craft over almost anything else.  My kids are grown, so I can admit to that.  : )  

Next, is figuring out how to transition from a day filled with mostly ho-hum work that earns money to a day filled with crafting that earns money.  Then, taking that from the creation space to the people. Then, growing that in to a lifestyle, not just a job.

Hmm?  Come along on this journey as I figure this out and feel free to nudge me here and there…gently.