Awesome shells that are still not a necklace as I am online right now...
When I moved from NY to Texas last Summer, I had to do a few things to prepare financially. First, I had to save a ton of money in order to move my stuff and myself (moving is NOT cheap!), which meant I also had to put myself on an extreme budget. I also had to leave behind a job which I loved and worked perfectly with my Manic Trout schedule. This job and my alter ego career was being the general manager of a restaurant. The main reason it was perfect was that the restaurant was only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I had to go in for two days during the week, but only for a couple hours each day...basically I crammed 35 hours into 3 days and the rest of the week was for Manic Trout. Awesome. I had an assistant who helped me out in my less then enough time week and all was well. Until I decided to move.
When I first started applying for jobs in the same field, it became apparent during the first interview that I was beyond crazy to think I would get a job like that in Austin. In fact, as it is not NY, I would be paid not much more to work at least twice as much. Basically I was laughed at when I asked if I would have two days off a week. So I did the next logical thing, I started selling stuff. Furniture, dishes, clothes...whatever I didn't wear use, or need...sold.
This meant that when I got to Texas, I had enough saved to not have to get a day job right away and focus on Manic Trout. Scary, as I tried this once before and the solitude combined with my workaholic tendencies were a bad combination mentally...but I figured I had matured a bit so lets give it a whirl! It's been tough, I'm not gonna lie. I had already become accustomed to a reduced living budget before the move, so that part I could manage...well and Adam and I started living together this winter , so for the first time in about 7 years, I have halved my living expenses.
An unfortunates side affect from moving though was it slowed down the business. Change was obvious even in an online shop and I didn't have a studio for over a month. I also was in a new city, so it took some time to find new contacts and shows and all of that kind of stuff. So less business and twice as much time to work immediately left me not all that much going on. Which let me allow myself to spend a ridiculous amount of time on the internet. Much of it was research, listing on sites, social media related...so it was for the most part work. I don't chat online or play games, or even shop online that much and that made it so much worse as I rationalized that if I am working, then there is no harm in it.
Until I started getting really busy these past few months and instead of designing the Summer line, where I have been spending most of my time? On the internet. Argh!!! Running a business, even as a designer means that about 90% of my time and energy is spent running a business, this I expect. Now however it seems that the other 10% has been taken captive by the internet...damn you internet and your glowing allure!!! I have been trying to wean myself away, a bit more each day so that the internet does not notice my attempts...but its so hard to stay away!
I know I am not the only one who seems to have this problem...how do you stay away? Set a time...lock your computer shut? One of my sisters changed her background image to say "Get off the internet and do some work!". Cute, but I think I'm beyond that. How much work online is too much each day? When do I just say no more????
