An apology, a belated Merry Christmas, a learning curve, and a goal. Yeah. That's all.

Good evening, my loves!

It's been FOREVER since I blogged, and I'm so sorry for that. I feel like I've been juggling a lot of plates lately and yes, they've fallen down more than once. However, things seem to be on the up. I'm not sure if it's just a New Year thing or what, but I'm certainly feeling a lot more positive this year than at any point last year. Not bad for two days into 2016. I've got a plan and everything, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me this year.

So...before getting into the other stuff, I want to say a HUGE belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a great time with friends and family, spoiled them rotten (with handmade items, of course!) and landed a few awesome gifts for yourselves, too! I got the absolute joy of spending another Christmas with my lovely mum which is always special.We actually went out for lunch this year which was a fab treat; it's getting too hot in Darwin to mess about with turkey and pork lunches, and the best thing? NO clean up! Bonus! Oh and the kids ate enough to sink a small ship for a change (have I mentioned how we have some of the fussiest kids on this planet? No? Okay I'll spare you!)

Next up...a goal. Way back in September, I signed up to the Business Bakery's awesome 100 day Goal challenge, which is an amazing idea, and one I felt I could day really get my teeth into. I lasted three days  before getting sicker than ever, then having each of my five cherubs come down with the same bug one after the other. My goal was a sales one and I basically pulled a number out of the blue without thinking too hard about it at all,  I didn't feel focused. either.I had a half arsed list of actions to take to achieve that goal, and as a result, bombed out pretty spectacularly. That said, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Far from it, in fact. I had the BEST 100 days of sales I've ever had, learned LOADS and along the way did a lot of stuff completely wrong which of course is how we learn the most, right? So when Julia announced she would be running the 100 day goal again in January, I literally couldn't sign up fast enough! We're onto Day 2 now and I'm running on sheer adrenaline (seriously....I haven't slept in 36 hours because I'm so focused on the end goal...I'm not advocating this, by the way....it's actually pretty stupid). But, it's a goal I can see myself achieving, it's one that MEANS something and I'm totally okay with that. The actual goal will remain secret until the end, and I may not even reveal then, we'll see. 

Image found online  - not me, or my work. 

The learning curve...ahhhh, well this is related to my goal news. too. In recent weeks I've become absolutely obsessed with wire weaving! It's my new addiction. It's like the nicotine I sometimes wish I still had  can absolutely live without (*ahem*). I'm soumak weaving all over the place, I'm wrestling a little with figure 8 weave (which probably has a more specific name but I'm such a newbie I can't remember it!) and honestly thought about not paying the phone bill just so I could buy more wire and supplies (but then, I'd not have my phone and internet to show off my new creations on, would I? Okay, dodged a bullet there, then!) It's the most insanely beautiful jewellery and so creative, so individual, that no two pieces are ever 100% alike....it's AWESOME! I'm like a kid learning how to colour in the lines again! I haven't been this excited about anything in ages (well except for polymer clay but I haven't been able to play with clay for ages thanks to the darling  kiddliwinks smashing my work surface tile). 

Anyhoo, I think my adrenaline is running out and my eyes are getting heavy! I'm off to Bedfordshire for the night to dream of wiry things and a beautiful clean workspace ...check it out, that's one more thing ticked off my ever growing to do list! hey...writing this blog is one thing off my list, too! Take that, 100 day Goal! 

Goodnight loves!! 

~ Jacqui ~ 

8 Things I Learned By Designing Jewellery

I've been feeling a little flat lately and wondering if this whole jewellery making malarkey is worth it, or if I've totally wasted the last 4 years of my life doing something that nobody gives a crap about. 

Then, the other day, I saw a post that said simply: 

Awesome. I let the words sort of sink in, then I sat down then and started to think about what I have really learned on this journey. Here's what I came up with: 

1. I can take criticism (when it's done properly). Don't just walk up to me and tell me my stuff sucks. Actually, don't do that to anyone because it's kind of a dick move, to be honest. Say something like, "Hey, I really like this piece, but have you thought about doing ............... instead?" Yes, offer me a suggestion! I won't bite your head off for doing so. Sure, I might bite my tongue and then cry a little bit when you're not looking, but I'll certainly think over your idea and try to put it into practice later on down the road. 

2. I have more artistic talent than I thought I did in high school. You remember those art classes? The ones with the little paint pots and A3 sized paper and a gazillion brushes in the room? Then the teacher, blabbering on about some famous painter or another, expects YOU to create some sort of weird masterpiece? Yeah. I sucked at those. I mean, I really sucked. I remember one "creation" I came up with that supposed to be a silhouette of a sunset and the piers I used to go to as a kid...it looked nothing like it. I talked myself down so much over that stupid painting that I decided I would never, ever, ever, in a million years, ever be an artist. Ummm..... my mistake. 




3. I'm really good at online shopping. Do I need to explain this one? 

4. I might be just a tiny little bit pedantic. This is not a good thing, people. Okay so being pedantic about some things and needing to have stuff in a certain way can be constructive and helpful. For me, it's the most paralysing thing EVER. I can't work if my workspace is a mess. My workspace is always a mess. You see the problem? I clean it up, I work well for a while, then by the time I'm done it looks like little jewellery making elves came in during the night and had a party on my desk. Then I can't work because it's a mess and it's too overwhelming to clean it up, but then I do because I'm so desperate to create something...... and so it goes.  Sigh. 



5. I am far too easily distracted. It's a problem. Oh look.....beads and wire and cogs and clocks and...Oooh someone liked my Instagram photo! I have comments on Facebook.... Oh yeah. I was writing a blog....my bad. 

6.  The jewellery making community ROCKS. For the most part, anyway. There's always the few who look down their nose and go "Oh, you just string? That's nice." Yeah, I did just string until a few weeks ago, and I don't see anything wrong with that. It is still art! Aargh! I'm a member of SRAJD (Self Representing Artists in Jewellery Design) and that community is amazing. It's full of super supportive, funny, entertaining and insanely talented people, all trying to make the world a better place one creation at a time :D 

7. I have a serious addiction to storage boxes. I can count 15 different types of storage just sitting here. That doesn't include the stuff that's NOT here on my workspace within easy reach, or what's in my filing cabinet which doesn't actually store anything that needs to be filed.. My husband sent me a text a couple of weeks ago telling me he'd bought me a present. It was more storage for my clay. I was so excited I actually squealed when I saw the photo. I may have a problem.

8. Making jewellery is my world. Apart from husband and children of course. It comes a very close 2nd. I've learned that if you're not doing something that you truly love - something that you can be proud of and that is pretty much an extension of yourself, you're not really living. Go. Find your passion. 

With all my love,

xxx

Should I Quit My Day Job To Create Full Time?

Hi all!

It's been a couple of days since I was here and I'm very sorry. I'm actually not feeling well and have had to take the last two days off work. I've been watching YouTube videos by the dozen, getting some ideas for my new polymer clay jewellery line which I'm hoping to get started on very soon. I'm thinking somewhat steampunk, vintage, antique looking stuff, but we'll see how we go. There's a few things I need first (yes husband, this means I'm going shopping!) but I should have this collection underway relatively soon.

But that's not the reason for this blog. The real reason I'm here today is because I'm back to playing with the idea of going back to creating and selling on a  full time basis, or at least working less than I am now. I'm pushing 40 now and feel like all I do is work, work, and work. I won't be lying on my death bed wishing I'd spent more time at work, surely! I think this is coming up now because as much as I love teaching (and I really, really do!), I love myself, and my family more. My contract is up in a few weeks, leaving me out in the cold again and on the hunt for a new class and a new school. It means learning everyone's names all over, getting to know more people, more kids, more parents. It means learning new pedagogy, new rules, new processes. It means learning new systems. It means hoping to not get lost again. Damn it, it's hard. Technically, I wouldn't be "quitting." I'd simply be without a contract for a while. That's okay.

There are a number of pros and cons to this decision and as a fantatical list maker, let's see how this pans out. Play along if you're also figuring out if you want to quit your job or not.

Pros: 

• More time with my gorgeous family
• More time to create and feed my soul with what really makes me happy
• More freedom
• Less work related stress!
• Less stress = better health
• Relief teaching means more control over where and when I work, and where and when I don't. 
• No planning for hours and hours on end. 
• No burnout

Cons:

• Less money, or at least less guarantee of it coming in. That's a biggie. 
• Very real possibility of completely failing and landing on my butt in front of well, everyone. 

Well...there you go. Just as I thought, the only two things holding me back are a lack of $$ and the chance I'll look like an idiot. Hell, I've been broke and have made myself look like an idiot plenty of times before. It's not new. 

Here's the question I need to be asking: 

Hmmm. 

The solution is staring me in the face. I think I'm going to work until my contract is up....then see where life leads me. I'm tired of the fight. I've been conditioned to believe that to live I have to work 60 hours a week, never see my family, get paid, and do it all over again. I'm not sure that's really the case. I'm not LIVING. I'm EXISTING. We can't go on fancy holidays. We can't pay private rent. we can't do a lot of things more well off people can do, and yet I'm still working my ass off! That to me is the definition of insanity. It's totally NUTS. My time is precious, so is my family. So am I. 

A friend recently told me, "If you have a passion for teaching, you can do it anywhere. You don't have to do it in a classroom." She's absolutely, 100% right. I don't have to. 

Until next time, 

~Jacqui~ 

I'm also looking for product testers to check out my new line, wear the pieces for a few days, and let me know what they think. I'm always very wary of doing anything new (I'd never forgive myself if a piece sold then went and broke after a couple of wears!) so I like to just take my time, test the waters and see what happens. If you're interested, let me know! I won't be sending items out for a while, but if you think this is something you'd like to help with, just drop me a line. You can leave a comment here, email me (sevenoaksjewellery@gmail.com), or leave a message on Facebook.