Why hello there, blog. Long-time-no-see!
I have been meaning to post here for a while; I have certainly been slacking somewhat when it comes to keeping up the blog. That’s because the past two months have been full of changes for me. All good changes, but changes that have a way of filling up my schedule and shifting my priorities.
Some great changes have been personal, and some have been career oriented. I’m going to stick to the career stuff here and spare you all the details that have no effect on my art, my website, or any of my products.
I’ll start with the big news first. I have a new job! Sort of. I am still working as a freelance illustrator, but I have accepted a more steady in-house position as a medical illustrator. Working regular hours, and earning regular pay. This is me taking a huge exhale. -sigh- Just imagine me putting my feet up here and letting all my worries flow out of me. That’s how I feel right now and it could partly be the weather.
Honestly, I like freelance work. I like the diversity of the work and meeting new challenges. However the struggle with freelance is constantly looking for new work. Constantly seeking new clients and constantly fighting the competition for jobs. Those of you who are unemployed and seeking employment know exactly the feeling I am talking about. That constant search and anxiety over finding work. Freelance is like that even when I have work, because that project will soon come to an end and I’m looking for work while working at the same time. It’s interesting, certainly, but it can be stressful and hard to plan for the future. Hopefully it will be a long time before I have to look for more work, but I will let you know when I am.
The second bit of news I have to report is that I have renewed the lease on my Studio on Western Ave in Lowell. This means I will be in Lowell for at least another year, making masks and art, and having regular open houses. You can find details about my studio and its Open Houses on my website here.
Having a studio space in which to work and to store my materials is key in allowing me to sell my work at fairs and conventions across New England. My next fair will be the Pirate Rendezvous! A free one-day event for charity up in Maine. Come be a pirate for the day while you shop and enjoy family-friendly entertainment. More information on this fair can be found at their website: http://piraterendezvous.com/ It looks like a real blast and I cannot wait! I will have another blog post specifically on the rendezvous shortly.
I don’t want to make this post too long and wordy, so to bring this journal-entry of sorts to a close, I will say that just under a year out of college and my routine and workflow is really starting to take a comfortable shape. I have several jobs that I still have to juggle, and am feeling busier than ever, but my schedule has at last become regular and orderly. I thrive on structure, and having a more defined separation of work and play actually motivates me more to keep up with hobbies like painting for fun and sewing without the pressure of making a buck off of them. I feel busy but not at all stressed, because even though I have fewer hours to myself, there is less question as to how I will spend those hours.
So, in short, I have a job in my field which takes up a lot of my time, but I will continue to make art for fun, craft leather wares, make costumes, and of course blog whenever I get the chance!
Thank you as always for reading!
(P.S, I am still accepting commissions and taking custom orders for my leather wares, but I will inform you of any longer turn-around times based on the intricacy of your indevidual project.)
