the slow roll

Last year around this time the studio shop was wild. It was super busy and I was shocked and elated by all the orders that came pouring in everyday. I had built a little nothing into a little something and was walking around feeling pretty proud of myself.

I was also feeling pretty overwhelmed, pretty exhausted, and pretty confused...shouldn't I be happy and grateful. I felt like my joy was being gobbled up by stress. I made family members help me while on vacation, I changed flights, I cancelled flights, I declined invitations, I ignored my husband, my  dog and myself. I spent morning until well into the evening filling orders, packaging, restocking inventory, printing mailing labels, filing out those little customs forms (thank the lord I can do it online now). I was just a drag to be around and I finally just broke down and wept to my husband who had a very simple response.

It's time to slow your roll.

He was right. It was time. I had done a great thing but not really in a great way. I had risked my own peace of mind and it was awesome for a time...until it wasn't. I ended up clearing out most of my inventory and closing my virtual doors for a spell. You guys know the rest. Recently I reopened after nearly a year. Same Bananafish...different studio. A friend asked me how it was going the other day and I thought for a minute...and said "slow." She took this to mean bad...like business was bad. But, no...it wasn't bad, just slow. And slow is my new favorite thing.

Sure...orders don't come in like they used to...I only have a fraction of the inventory so that makes total sense. I don't spend all my days filing orders, I have been able to assign specific times for that. It doesn't take me three weeks to get something out...more like one. And I have ideas...so many ideas about things I want to make...for myself. Yeah...I've been actually making stuff...and not shop samples but stuff using all kinds of products and supplies. I'm taking a couple online workshops, I have caught up (mostly) on my pocket album and have been participating in the #get messy art journal group.

So the slow roll is good. It's better than good. Much of my day is devoted to my design clients which...c'mon, are really my bread and butter. It took a while for me to settle into my new normal, to accept and enjoy what the shop is now, to recognize that growth means something different to everybody, to pace myself and just go slow:)

Happy Friday!

Look for part two of simple stamping next Wednesday.
edited to add: let's switch wednesday to friday:)