Happy First Day of Spring!
Today was a good day. It was sunny and warm (ish), and I took a little trip to Target (masks on, ya'll)!
So, I'm going to preface this post with something.......I'm incredibly blessed. During this pandemic, I've had very few complaints. Yes, my fiber business has suffered with the closing of fiber festivals, and not being able to meet with other fiber people in person. That being said, I don't depend on my business to support anything other than itself. Aaron also owns his own business (private and corporate aviation), and he has had to hustle to keep it open and solvent. He has been incredibly successful at this, so our paycheck has been steady, and he has been able to keep his other employee. I don't have to worry about keeping the roof over our heads, our bills paid, or where our next meal is coming from. There are so many people across our country, the planet even, that are struggling.
Now, with that being said, I have realized something about myself. I am not a very nice person to me. I have spent more time inside my own head this past year than any other time, and it's not super comfortable. When I made the decision to leave my corporate job of eight years, I had so much outside support. Listening to other artists on social media, it's very apparent that not everybody has the support I have. Aaron took on financial support of our household, and even bought me a backyard studio that is an absolute refuge for me.
He is always encouraging me, and has great advice for a beginner entrepreneur. My parents, sister, in-laws (and out-laws, lol), and our kids, are the most supportive people I know. My biggest enemy to my self-confidence is me! If you heard what I say to myself in my own brain, you'd be shocked, I know I am! I just never realized it, it just became my norm. I can't think of anyone that could say anything to me that is worse, or even comes close to what I say to myself. Weird, right? Well, not so much. I've been doing a lot of reading/research on this, and it's not uncommon. Being an artist is something pretty new to me. It's not something that I ever thought or wanted to do, but I've always been that "crafty" person. Cross-stitch, embroidery, dried flower arranging (hello 80's and early 90's), crocheting, then rug hooking, knitting, spinning, etc. The first time someone called me an artist, I didn't realize they were talking to me. It's taken me a minute to claim that particular title, and still feels weird to call myself an artist, but I'm getting there. It's all part of the work, I think, and there's some work to do. I've decided that the mean girl that lives rent-free in my head is going to be evicted. It's going to take a while because she has been living there for quite a while, but I've got a plan. I refuse to continue to make myself small, or conform to fit into some construct that my brain/ego has decided is comfortable. I'm going to take chances, try different things, and when that mean girl starts to spout off, her comments will be replaced with encouraging, supportive talk. Yes, I have conversations with myself...lol.
Ok, now that that's off my chest, let's see a couple of finished rugs!
This is a dragon drawn by our (bonus) daughter, Ashley. I wanted to do something different, and asked her to draw me a dragon. No other instructions, just that. I really like her fierceness.
I'm currently working on the third Lake Bird, the Wood Duck, and tomorrow will be a day in the dye post. I need a bunch of background colors, and don't have any on hand.
Now that I've dumped my brain onto this post, I'm going to go veg out in front of the tv for the rest of the night. Have a wonderful evening/day, and remember......Be Kind to Yourself!
