Success + Struggle

Last Friday I sent out a newsletter to my mailing list and I acknowledged some hard truths: this year has been a year of ups and downs and creative ruts. I am six years into my embroidery business. It's a business that I didn't really plan that has evolved out of my studio practice. (I didn't really plan for my studio practice to be embroidery based either, but that evolution is a story for another day!)

Most of the time I absolutely love what I do and I am definitely always grateful that it supports me (aka YOU support me and make it all possible). There are also other times when everything feels like a struggle and I feel uninspired or completely overwhelmed and lost about what's next. How will things change and grow--or shrink--in the next six years? I have no idea!

I have started the practice of identifying individual moments of success and moments of struggle in order to keep a handle on feeling and celebrating the progress and to try and analyze and move past the challenges.

So now I invite you to celebrate my little success and sympathize with my struggle this month: 

I have made time for directionless experimentation. I find myself being so product driven so often that I have had to rediscover the joy of creation for creation's sake. I have made time to paint, carve a linoleum block for printing, and have stitched up that weird piece of fabric from my embroidery scraps.

I have struggled with maintaining a healthy work/life balance for the past few weeks--or really for the past six years! Does such a thing as balance even exist? I'm not convinced. But lately I have let my work load get the better of me and have foregone the gym and skipped out on social engagements in favor of hours behind the screen and holed up in the studio.

I’ve been realizing lately that articulating myself to myself is so important, but I also thrive on a little accountability. So, this won’t be the last Success + Struggle acknowledgement and I invite you to share your own successes and struggles however big or small in the comments section. We can all share this space and support each other!