So this is big apologies to my ickle blog. Where exactly does the time go? If anyone knows, answers on a postcard and send off into the stratosphere!!
When I went self employed back in January of this year, I thought it would be a few months and then I would be producing lot's of work and have it up and running with flying colours (pardon the pun).
Then I realised that soon enough, it was and still is tough going. I can only manage 10 hours a week, as I have a little chap that keeps me busy a good amount of the time, and that's even before I even consider stepping out the door! And don't even get me started on fitting in housework, and all the other things that entails being a home-maker/ mother/wifey-to-be/ general dogs body etc!
Now to anyone else reading this, this may seem like a moany blog post....fear not, as it certainly isn't :0) This is a blog post to say, I am actually still here, even if I don't get a chance to post every week/month *abs whispers behind her hand* "you should see how neglected the 'other' blog is" .
So this post is to say thank you for being patient my 1 follower on here, and to anyone else reading this, please do feel free to follow me, share my page so that others may follow too (maybe, we can live in hope can't we!) .
I will try my upmost to do more regular blog posts, so that it doesn't seem like this is neglected to the extent that it has been, and in the meantime, thank you for still continuing to follow this blog :0)
Happy Wednesday peeps!
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Monday, 18 March 2013
Progress Ahoy!
Good Evening!
Just a post to diary where I am at at the moment. First up..... How are you all? Please come by and feel free to tell me some of your experiences, I love listening / reading how everyone else is getting on.
So to the point I left off, at the last time post was, that I was hoping to finish setting up at least my accounting and stock accounts. Well, I can safely say they are all set up and up to date too, yep, go me! ( party streamers, trumpets and balloons bouncing round my head!). I am completely chuffed to bits that this is now complete. I'm feel a little more comfortable about my accounts as I can keep a track of them, and keep them up to date. There is not a multitude of pennies there, and obviously I haven't made any sales yet, but the little money I do put in, can help here and there. It also means that if I need to buy something, any capital can be monitored and then I can look at how to manage saving for certain items too. I have already set aside my website hosting fee for the year which is great news. I say this is great news as I haven't even started building the website yet! ( I think I may call it 'abi's roundabout fashion of completion!)
The other day, I could buy some core acrylic paints for my stock, which may not seem like a huge thing to most, but for me it was more than just buying paint, the notion behind it was, I officially took the first steps to getting closer to producing some artwork. It was quite smile inducing really, I officially wrote my mileage, times, and costs down, and updated those records, which also felt very promising and welcoming that I am actually doing this. I guess it makes me feel like I am now taking myself seriously, and in doing that, it may also mean that other people may take me seriously too. A lot of people normally give me that weird look as if to say "hmmm, art and crafts..... not really a profession is it". So my main thought at that point is, well, do you have paintings on your walls? even if they are prints, someone has had to produce the original. ;0)
A lot of cultural stuff that we do, a lot of hobbies we consider to do, comes from that original persons creatively. In a world that is so focused on technology it is lovely to be able to see that creativity still thrives, whether it's art, crafts, writing, anything that truly makes you feel like you are 'you'.
So the progress I make, may only be baby steps here and there, but, I guess its one step further to getting a little bit of me back again. What things interests you? How did you find your progress into what you now may consider your job role? Please feel free to comment, happy to read further in to the lives of all things creative!
Thank you for reading.
:0)
Just a post to diary where I am at at the moment. First up..... How are you all? Please come by and feel free to tell me some of your experiences, I love listening / reading how everyone else is getting on.
So to the point I left off, at the last time post was, that I was hoping to finish setting up at least my accounting and stock accounts. Well, I can safely say they are all set up and up to date too, yep, go me! ( party streamers, trumpets and balloons bouncing round my head!). I am completely chuffed to bits that this is now complete. I'm feel a little more comfortable about my accounts as I can keep a track of them, and keep them up to date. There is not a multitude of pennies there, and obviously I haven't made any sales yet, but the little money I do put in, can help here and there. It also means that if I need to buy something, any capital can be monitored and then I can look at how to manage saving for certain items too. I have already set aside my website hosting fee for the year which is great news. I say this is great news as I haven't even started building the website yet! ( I think I may call it 'abi's roundabout fashion of completion!)
The other day, I could buy some core acrylic paints for my stock, which may not seem like a huge thing to most, but for me it was more than just buying paint, the notion behind it was, I officially took the first steps to getting closer to producing some artwork. It was quite smile inducing really, I officially wrote my mileage, times, and costs down, and updated those records, which also felt very promising and welcoming that I am actually doing this. I guess it makes me feel like I am now taking myself seriously, and in doing that, it may also mean that other people may take me seriously too. A lot of people normally give me that weird look as if to say "hmmm, art and crafts..... not really a profession is it". So my main thought at that point is, well, do you have paintings on your walls? even if they are prints, someone has had to produce the original. ;0)
A lot of cultural stuff that we do, a lot of hobbies we consider to do, comes from that original persons creatively. In a world that is so focused on technology it is lovely to be able to see that creativity still thrives, whether it's art, crafts, writing, anything that truly makes you feel like you are 'you'.
So the progress I make, may only be baby steps here and there, but, I guess its one step further to getting a little bit of me back again. What things interests you? How did you find your progress into what you now may consider your job role? Please feel free to comment, happy to read further in to the lives of all things creative!
Thank you for reading.
:0)
Friday, 1 March 2013
Is it March already?! ARe you sUrE!?
Hey all
So I would just like to ask you all something...... ok who stole the first two months without me even realising? (yep, I am chuckling at this point!).
I came downstairs this morning, and my partner, had changed the calendars to March, and it suddenly struck me at how odd it seemed that we have already used up two months of our 2013 already. Now I don't know about you guys, but I really do feel like someone is stealing our time!!
I guess it's because there is a mammoth amount of tasks that I would like to achieve this year, that it seems almost insane that I now only have 10 months to complete my mental list now rather than 12. I tell ya, I must be having fun if time is going quicker, lets face it I am still flummoxed at the thought that I will be 32 this year, that just seems far too odd because of course I still feel in my mid twenties, and anyone who knows me will say that I look it too.
I went self employed on the 1st of January this year, and this is a major thing for me, because I had been contemplating it for a while (yep years) so to finally bite that bullet and register is quite remarkable that I had the confidence to do this. I am not a confident person in the slightest. I doubt pretty much everything I do (even if only inwardly most of the time) and I certainly don't see myself as this amazingly creative person, where people will want to purchase my work. However, I have lovely little idea's in my head, and eventually once I am finishing setting up, I will be hopefully producing some stuff to put out there. I enjoy art so very much, and it's just one of the things that makes me feel like I am a million miles away on some peaceful and tranquil island, just chillin' as they say. Where does your creativeness send you? I would love to hear some of your thoughts and aspirations for sure.
The setting up is almost there, aside of the website, which can be worked on and art can then be produced. My main setting up is down to accounts etc I cant have any letters after my name, but I can say that I have studied my AAT to Technician Level and passed the foundation and intermediate years. I am going to be doing my own accounts and such like and I am one pedantic person when it comes to getting things correct or as near to that as I can, and again that is down to confidence.
Having never done this self employed malarkey before, I am finding it interesting to adjust to, but I think I like it. My full time job is being a mother to our son, and and housewife (well nearly married) to my partner, who is amazingly supportive of me doing this. So my part-time job is this self employment, on top of the full time job I mentioned above. I can only manage to fit ( or squeeze if you will) in 10 hours a week at the moment. I am loving the challenge, and I am feeling more like "Abi" as well as being "Mummy", so the confidence I believe will come in time.
I guess this post is mainly to say bear with me, I know it looks like I am doing nothing because I am not producing any art at the moment, but the prep work takes longer due to other reasons, but all good ones! In the meantime, please do enjoy my art for family and friends & also my poems. There is only a limited amount of work there from when I was at college, as a breakdown in communications led to a lot of my work being destroyed, so rebuilding a portfolio will take longer!
Please do share some of your stories / memories of starting up, as I love to hear the background to some wonderful artists I witness now!
Many Thanks for your time. :0)
So I would just like to ask you all something...... ok who stole the first two months without me even realising? (yep, I am chuckling at this point!).
I came downstairs this morning, and my partner, had changed the calendars to March, and it suddenly struck me at how odd it seemed that we have already used up two months of our 2013 already. Now I don't know about you guys, but I really do feel like someone is stealing our time!!
I guess it's because there is a mammoth amount of tasks that I would like to achieve this year, that it seems almost insane that I now only have 10 months to complete my mental list now rather than 12. I tell ya, I must be having fun if time is going quicker, lets face it I am still flummoxed at the thought that I will be 32 this year, that just seems far too odd because of course I still feel in my mid twenties, and anyone who knows me will say that I look it too.
I went self employed on the 1st of January this year, and this is a major thing for me, because I had been contemplating it for a while (yep years) so to finally bite that bullet and register is quite remarkable that I had the confidence to do this. I am not a confident person in the slightest. I doubt pretty much everything I do (even if only inwardly most of the time) and I certainly don't see myself as this amazingly creative person, where people will want to purchase my work. However, I have lovely little idea's in my head, and eventually once I am finishing setting up, I will be hopefully producing some stuff to put out there. I enjoy art so very much, and it's just one of the things that makes me feel like I am a million miles away on some peaceful and tranquil island, just chillin' as they say. Where does your creativeness send you? I would love to hear some of your thoughts and aspirations for sure.
The setting up is almost there, aside of the website, which can be worked on and art can then be produced. My main setting up is down to accounts etc I cant have any letters after my name, but I can say that I have studied my AAT to Technician Level and passed the foundation and intermediate years. I am going to be doing my own accounts and such like and I am one pedantic person when it comes to getting things correct or as near to that as I can, and again that is down to confidence.
Having never done this self employed malarkey before, I am finding it interesting to adjust to, but I think I like it. My full time job is being a mother to our son, and and housewife (well nearly married) to my partner, who is amazingly supportive of me doing this. So my part-time job is this self employment, on top of the full time job I mentioned above. I can only manage to fit ( or squeeze if you will) in 10 hours a week at the moment. I am loving the challenge, and I am feeling more like "Abi" as well as being "Mummy", so the confidence I believe will come in time.
I guess this post is mainly to say bear with me, I know it looks like I am doing nothing because I am not producing any art at the moment, but the prep work takes longer due to other reasons, but all good ones! In the meantime, please do enjoy my art for family and friends & also my poems. There is only a limited amount of work there from when I was at college, as a breakdown in communications led to a lot of my work being destroyed, so rebuilding a portfolio will take longer!
Please do share some of your stories / memories of starting up, as I love to hear the background to some wonderful artists I witness now!
Many Thanks for your time. :0)
Friday, 4 January 2013
Well here's to 2013!
Welcome 2013 and to all!
2012 was, for many of us humans a bit of a dire year really. There were, I don't argue lot's of positive things to come out of 2012, but sometimes the negatives outweighed the positives, and it made it feel harder to gather the ompf we needed to feel in good spirits.
Christmas was soon upon us and we seemed in better harmony with each other (or were we just grateful the world really hadn't ended!). Whilst out and about, regardless of people feeling grot due to colds etc, we all seemed quite upbeat. I think a lot of us had resigned to the fact that expensive gifts and lavishing on foods that we would never in a million years get through before the use by date had been and gone, that this was a poorer Christmas.
However, so many people that I had spoken to at the time, had come up with inexpensive gifts, mainly homemade, for their loved ones. This is also what I decided to do. I used my imagination, and cooked multiple batches of winter spiced and chocolate Christmas tree cookies/biscuits, put in that variety into large card cellophane bags, sealed and then ribbon tied the bags> I had such a positive response to these gifts to which, I have to say, was a better response than in previous years when I had been able to buy presents! The other amazing thing is, that it actually felt more like christmas' used to be when I was a kid. It just goes to show, that with a little imagination, your own time and love given to making products, you can give a heartfelt and heartwarming gift.
All of a sudden 2013 has arrived! Hello 2013! I decided to bite the bullet, and register as self employed. Eeeeeek you may hear say/squeal (delete as appropriate!). Anybody who knows me, knows I am the sort of person who will procrastinate, and as a Libra, I tend to mill things over for far to long than is probably necessary. I decided that as I could use my prep work for setting all things business like towards working hours, that I would give myself a big boot up the booty, and just register. I figured that this would be the motivation for getting things sorted quicker. Well it's working at the moment :0)
First and foremost, I am a mother and a wifey-to-be / home-maker, but I actually have managed to fit in some hours this week, and organise myself a little better. My venture is only part time as of course my little one keeps me on my toes, but I have to say, I feel like I am getting a little bit of (dare I say it) 'me' back.
There are a few people that I have spoken to recently about 2013, and I have to say, there is a lot of us out there, that, for some strange reason, feel it could be a positive year for us all (13 has always been my lucky number, so who knows!). So I guess this post is trying to convey, if I can give myself the opportunity to get up and running, so can a lot of us feel at least we can try to do it. I wish everyone all the very best and a positive 2013, let's hope its a good one, and let's also not feel bad for feeling good about a new year for once!
Signing off as one very tired "promised myself I would get earlier nights, (yeah right) person". Dream Sweetly all ! (especially if I have rabbited on so much I have made you fall asleep!). Happy weekend peeps!
2012 was, for many of us humans a bit of a dire year really. There were, I don't argue lot's of positive things to come out of 2012, but sometimes the negatives outweighed the positives, and it made it feel harder to gather the ompf we needed to feel in good spirits.
Christmas was soon upon us and we seemed in better harmony with each other (or were we just grateful the world really hadn't ended!). Whilst out and about, regardless of people feeling grot due to colds etc, we all seemed quite upbeat. I think a lot of us had resigned to the fact that expensive gifts and lavishing on foods that we would never in a million years get through before the use by date had been and gone, that this was a poorer Christmas.
However, so many people that I had spoken to at the time, had come up with inexpensive gifts, mainly homemade, for their loved ones. This is also what I decided to do. I used my imagination, and cooked multiple batches of winter spiced and chocolate Christmas tree cookies/biscuits, put in that variety into large card cellophane bags, sealed and then ribbon tied the bags> I had such a positive response to these gifts to which, I have to say, was a better response than in previous years when I had been able to buy presents! The other amazing thing is, that it actually felt more like christmas' used to be when I was a kid. It just goes to show, that with a little imagination, your own time and love given to making products, you can give a heartfelt and heartwarming gift.
All of a sudden 2013 has arrived! Hello 2013! I decided to bite the bullet, and register as self employed. Eeeeeek you may hear say/squeal (delete as appropriate!). Anybody who knows me, knows I am the sort of person who will procrastinate, and as a Libra, I tend to mill things over for far to long than is probably necessary. I decided that as I could use my prep work for setting all things business like towards working hours, that I would give myself a big boot up the booty, and just register. I figured that this would be the motivation for getting things sorted quicker. Well it's working at the moment :0)
First and foremost, I am a mother and a wifey-to-be / home-maker, but I actually have managed to fit in some hours this week, and organise myself a little better. My venture is only part time as of course my little one keeps me on my toes, but I have to say, I feel like I am getting a little bit of (dare I say it) 'me' back.
There are a few people that I have spoken to recently about 2013, and I have to say, there is a lot of us out there, that, for some strange reason, feel it could be a positive year for us all (13 has always been my lucky number, so who knows!). So I guess this post is trying to convey, if I can give myself the opportunity to get up and running, so can a lot of us feel at least we can try to do it. I wish everyone all the very best and a positive 2013, let's hope its a good one, and let's also not feel bad for feeling good about a new year for once!
Signing off as one very tired "promised myself I would get earlier nights, (yeah right) person". Dream Sweetly all ! (especially if I have rabbited on so much I have made you fall asleep!). Happy weekend peeps!
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
A Change is as good as a Rest!
Good Afternoon Bloggers!
This is a fairly quick post. But thought I may as well add this to my blog.
When I started to think about a name to trade as, for when I do go self employed, I originally came up with Abz Artz. I liked this because in my creative mind I thought the zed's on the end of each word were quite jazzy and could be worked with for creating and combining my logo. A year down the line, and my son has still kept me busy, but I am fully determined to get this up and running, I wont give up on it for sure.
As time has gone on I felt more and more unsure that the name I had picked (even though I have set up, email accounts and twitter and facebook, and even had some business cards made up). I thought to myself, it would seem such much more of an effort to change it all now, but I did prefer this other name.
I had bounced the idea of a couple of close people who I could trust and they were unanimous in their opinions. Whilst they all loved Abz Artz, the new name, just sort of, gelled better with what I wanted to be. I then thought, yes it may well be an effort to change all that I had set up before, but I thought if I am not prepared to do it, then I am surely not prepared to set up my business (which is obviously much more work than setting up a few email address'!)
So with that in mind, and a lot of thinking and pondering (and even pretend answering the phone using the name to see what it sounds like! Yep I did that!!) I decided it was time to change the name. My slogan (if you will) was creatively random arts and crafts etc; Well this still can be my slogan, but I have now decided that Creatively Random definitely suits what I want to do, and of course who I am, far better than Abz Artz. I am still fond of Abz Artz for sure, but I don't want to come across so bold as if to say "Abz Artz, here I am and here is my work". I am not a hugely confident person, and don't really like the focus to be on me a lot of the time. So this is where the name change came about!!
I hope you all feel this was a good change to make, and I have to say I positively love it. It has given me that new ompf that I needed, to set aside some time (even if only small moments here and there between being a mum and home-maker) and try and give myself that renewed confidence that I should definitely go ahead with giving it a shot.
Yep, as per usual, miss chatterbox has made a short post into a long one! Regardless of this, I hope you have enjoyed my post.
Hope you all have a fabby day.
This is a fairly quick post. But thought I may as well add this to my blog.
When I started to think about a name to trade as, for when I do go self employed, I originally came up with Abz Artz. I liked this because in my creative mind I thought the zed's on the end of each word were quite jazzy and could be worked with for creating and combining my logo. A year down the line, and my son has still kept me busy, but I am fully determined to get this up and running, I wont give up on it for sure.
As time has gone on I felt more and more unsure that the name I had picked (even though I have set up, email accounts and twitter and facebook, and even had some business cards made up). I thought to myself, it would seem such much more of an effort to change it all now, but I did prefer this other name.
I had bounced the idea of a couple of close people who I could trust and they were unanimous in their opinions. Whilst they all loved Abz Artz, the new name, just sort of, gelled better with what I wanted to be. I then thought, yes it may well be an effort to change all that I had set up before, but I thought if I am not prepared to do it, then I am surely not prepared to set up my business (which is obviously much more work than setting up a few email address'!)
So with that in mind, and a lot of thinking and pondering (and even pretend answering the phone using the name to see what it sounds like! Yep I did that!!) I decided it was time to change the name. My slogan (if you will) was creatively random arts and crafts etc; Well this still can be my slogan, but I have now decided that Creatively Random definitely suits what I want to do, and of course who I am, far better than Abz Artz. I am still fond of Abz Artz for sure, but I don't want to come across so bold as if to say "Abz Artz, here I am and here is my work". I am not a hugely confident person, and don't really like the focus to be on me a lot of the time. So this is where the name change came about!!
I hope you all feel this was a good change to make, and I have to say I positively love it. It has given me that new ompf that I needed, to set aside some time (even if only small moments here and there between being a mum and home-maker) and try and give myself that renewed confidence that I should definitely go ahead with giving it a shot.
Yep, as per usual, miss chatterbox has made a short post into a long one! Regardless of this, I hope you have enjoyed my post.
Hope you all have a fabby day.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Happy Arting Everyone!
Welcome to my page!
This is a brand new page, of which, as I go along, will add more about my journey into the world of my art bubble!
I am looking to go self employed, and hopefully in the not too distant future (with any luck!). I have a nearly 3.5 year old son, so he keeps me pretty busy at the moment, but I am trying to learn to manage my time better, and get a more positive me on the go.
I am not a negative person, more of a easy going, 'happy with her lot' plod along. The time is drawing closer to my son starting primary school, and I have always been a working person, up until a few years back. I still work now, because as any stay at home mother knows, it's a full time job in itself. "Keeping ship" as my Mum would say over the years that she has been a devoted home-maker. She has done us all proud, and there is not a day that goes by, now even more so that I am experiencing it for myself, that I don't fully appreciate what she has done for my brother and I.
There has always been that pearl of wisdom, a nugget of truthful advice, if you will, that my Mum has given me, and that is to make sure that I don't forget about me also. It's not a selfish thing, more of a means to an end for my personality. Above all, I am a Mum, but to try and get a little bit of me back, before it's too late, I am hopefully going to embark on a small time self employment for all things creative.
So I am in the process (a very long one it seems!) to trying to research what I need to know, and the basic information that will help me set up and eventually go self employed.
Please feel free to join me in any posts that I do, and hopefully soon, there will be a little bit of creativeness coming your way. If only to be pleasing on the eye, with no purchase necessary, then I have achieved half of what I have set out to do.
Happy Arting everyone!
This is a brand new page, of which, as I go along, will add more about my journey into the world of my art bubble!
I am looking to go self employed, and hopefully in the not too distant future (with any luck!). I have a nearly 3.5 year old son, so he keeps me pretty busy at the moment, but I am trying to learn to manage my time better, and get a more positive me on the go.
I am not a negative person, more of a easy going, 'happy with her lot' plod along. The time is drawing closer to my son starting primary school, and I have always been a working person, up until a few years back. I still work now, because as any stay at home mother knows, it's a full time job in itself. "Keeping ship" as my Mum would say over the years that she has been a devoted home-maker. She has done us all proud, and there is not a day that goes by, now even more so that I am experiencing it for myself, that I don't fully appreciate what she has done for my brother and I.
There has always been that pearl of wisdom, a nugget of truthful advice, if you will, that my Mum has given me, and that is to make sure that I don't forget about me also. It's not a selfish thing, more of a means to an end for my personality. Above all, I am a Mum, but to try and get a little bit of me back, before it's too late, I am hopefully going to embark on a small time self employment for all things creative.
So I am in the process (a very long one it seems!) to trying to research what I need to know, and the basic information that will help me set up and eventually go self employed.
Please feel free to join me in any posts that I do, and hopefully soon, there will be a little bit of creativeness coming your way. If only to be pleasing on the eye, with no purchase necessary, then I have achieved half of what I have set out to do.
Happy Arting everyone!
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