WIP Wednesday

As creatives we more than likely have several WIPs (work in progress) going at one time. No matter how many times I tell myself that I am going to just start one project and work on it until it’s finished. It never fails. I am going to start another one. An idea will hit me and I have to get it out right then or most of the time it’s because I got bored with my current project and I need a quick win. You know those almost instant gratification projects. Just so we can have the feeling that we accomplished something. It’s a great way to get the motivation to finish those longer projects that we love at first then we get to the messy middle and we are like “WHY?? Why did I decide to do this?” or “How did I even think this was a good idea!?” Then at the end of the project when you may or may not have weaved in the ends, you are like “oh ok this is beautiful and that’s why I did this” You know it was worth it

My longest and most challenging WIP is myself. For so long, I was stuck in the mundane tasks of life. Checking all the boxes of what was expected of me and my responsibilities as an adult. You know work, pay bills, all of those necessities to keep the lights on and food in our bellies. After work, I would come home to more work and then sit down and lose myself in a good book or Pinterest or just mindlessly scrolling Facebook. Through all of it I kept thinking there has to be more to life than this? For years, I had that thought in the back of my brain. It started out as a really quiet thought that was gone as soon as it popped up.

Back in 2018, that thought started popping up more and more and getting louder and louder. It really hit me hard that I just did not want to do this anymore and it wouldn’t go away! “This” referring to my job and just not really having any set goals until retirement. There had to be more to life than this. I found absolutely no joy in my job. I dreaded going to work. Not the normal dread that we feel because we would rather being doing something else. But the dread that is felt deep down in every fiber of our being dread. It was then that I decided I was going to start my 5 year plan. In 5 years, I wanted to be working for myself. I didn’t know what that looked like. I had zero clue. But what I did know is even thinking about it sparked a fire in me that had been missing for a long, long time.

I feel like I need to add this so I am not misunderstood or taken the wrong way. I was grateful for my job and the customers I was there to serve but it no longer gave me joy or a sense of purpose. This had nothing to do with the wonderful people and all the blessings in my life. It had to do with ME. There was more for me than this. I felt like I had a purpose and this just wasn’t it.

I knew two things – I needed to find something that I enjoyed and that could make money. At this point, I was really enjoying crocheting. It started out as an outlet for grief and ended up becoming one of my favorite hobbies. I started sharing pictures of things that I made on Facebook and it was amazing at how many people really enjoyed seeing things that I made and out how many conversations were started around crocheting. Here and there people started asking me to make things. It was fun and brought in a little extra play money. And by play money I mean money to continue to support my yarn habit. As I continued to learn more and more, it really lit me up when people told me how much joy the things I made brought them. I started a Facebook business page so I could reach more people and spread more joy. I started getting to know other crocheters and there was this snowball effect. I loved seeing their passion for crochet as well.

I decided to turn my passion for crocheting into a business. I have pivoted this business so many times that if you could see it on paper or in a picture it would look like a spiral staircase with lots of landings and no top insight.

All of this lead me to learning to hand dye yarn and starting my yarn subscription box. Through this entire process I finally realized what really lit me up, even more than my passion for crocheting and dyeing yarn- inspiring and encouraging other women. I want every single woman to know that she is beautiful, worthy and capable. And her circumstances and the things she has been through or is going through right now do not define her. On this journey, I have read and heard so many women say what they can’t do or label themselves as “just a” “I am just a stay at home mom that is bored” “I can’t learn to do that” “I can’t make money doing this” “I am just a small business and I can’t” We are so quick to make ourselves small or less than. We are so much more! As women we are so hard on ourselves and we are so quick to label ourselves in a negative way. And don’t get me started on how quickly some of us do the same to other women. We are all in this together. We are all down in the trenches of the muck that comes with life- self doubt, feeling less than, comparing ourselves to models on TV and feeling like we come up short, etc-but I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. There is more! You are worthy. You are capable. You deserve to have a life that you love.

Now I am ready for my next journey- Business with Purpose. I want to help women like me who feel like there is way more to their life. My 5 year plan turned into a 3 year plan. I was able to leave my full time job and work for myself. It isn’t an easy journey but it is so worth it. It wasn’t until year 3 that I learned what the key is. I know I can help women get where they want to be even faster than I did.

The key is mindset. Mindset is everything. When I shifted my thinking and changed the words I was saying to and about myself, my life changed. It’s a daily practice and it takes a lot of intention but if I can do it anyone can!

It’s all about setting yourself up to be open to changes and shifts that you need to make in order to grow.

I bet you are already thinking of 15 reasons why you can’t do it. It’s just human nature. Guess what?! I still do it. Right now, I am mentally making a list of why I should just erase this. “People are going to think you are all full of yourself now” “This chic is off her rocker” “What does this have to do with crocheting?!” or “Who am I to think this?” “I need to be so much more successful before I can do xyz” and I could keep going. But I am here to say that my “why” keeps me moving forward. I will do for other women what I am often not willing to do for myself. I am going to be brave and post this because there just might be one woman who needed this today. And if I can just help one woman know that she is more than she says she is, she is more than what the world says she is. It is worth any criticism that comes my way.

Just like our WIPs-craft related or ourselves- with every action we take we are evolving and moving towards a goal. Some of these goals are safe, attainable and quick and some of them scare us right out of our socks. No matter what your goal is keep moving forward and be open to making some pivots along the way.

If any of this resonates with you and you are wanting to start or build the business you currently have, I will be sharing more information soon.

I would love to hear from you! When it comes to your current business what are your struggles? If you want to start a business and haven’t, what has you stuck?

If you want more confidence in selling your handmade products, than I have some tips for you here.