Making It Happen

I am a woman on the verge...

My small art business was beginning to grow around me. I was beginning to feel like I was standing still while things whirled around me... like I was the stillness inside the blur of the tornado. Maybe it's the coming of spring that warms me to the core and awakens my creative spark.

A few weeks ago, my business boomed. Daily sales, lots of inquiries and a number of new wholesale accounts and orders. My inbox was bulging with emails and I was overwhelmed with orders and my business "to do" list.

And then came the calm after the storm. And I was shocked. I thought this was "it." I had envisioned that my parttime business was finally about to morph into a fulltime commitment. And then, a standstill!

I waited a day... nothing. No sales, no emails. Then, another day... nothing. It's now been ten days. I'm not a very patient person!

So, I've spent these last 10 days re-shooting photos, updating my website. I've just been catching up on general business maintainence. But, all the while, I've also been waiting. For what, I didn't know. But I kept waiting.

And then, I stumbled across this post by Scoutiegirl. I recently connected with Tara from Scoutiegirl online after finding her beautiful website and twitter page and realizing that she was from my area. Our paths had even crossed at a local craft show this holiday season when she purchased from me but I had no idea it was her!

Her post that caught my eye (and heart) was about creating abundance, making opportunities and living creatively. Her very personal story about her life growing up with a crafty, go get 'em mom really moved me. I am a mother of three and constantly strive to teach those important lessons of living vibrantly and creatively despite whatever life may throw your way.

Tara's message of "kick the damn door down" may very well be my new mantra. I don't need to sit here and wait for my business to grow around me. I need to get in there and get my hands dirty... start myself on a trajectory towards growth.

I now have in front of me (after hours of online research and soul searching) a dream list of shops, both large and small, that I would love to carry my work. I'm starting at the top and working my way through them, customizing my approach for each one. And I'm not hiding behind email contact, like I have in the past. I'm putting myself out there, walking in to talk to managers, owners, even buyers in big corporate offices. It's so not "me"... pitching myself and my work. But I'm finding it within myself to do it! My family and my kids deserve my success, my hard work demands it.

These are the doors I'm opening this week... shop doors and doors within myself that tell me that I'm worthy and able to accept success. What doors can you kick down this week?