38/365: My boys arrived today*. After a rough week, I couldn’t wait to get myself a dose of cuddles and kisses. Once the love fest was over, Bosco secured his place on the chair next to James. The very expensive, {gasp} white {gasp} chair**.

* My ex and I share them. We’re lucky to have a good relationship still so it works for us.
** I’ve given up trying to keep these chairs clean. I’ve no clue what I was thinking buying them in white as most of the fabric covered parts are non-removable. Once I get more confident with my sewing machine (read: when my mam arrives in the summer – she’s an amazing seamstress – and can help me) I’ll be churning out some slip covers so I don’t have a shed a silent tear every time I look at them.

37/365: I finally won the mental battle with my sewing machine today. It’s been a few years since I’ve sewn anything so I was a little nervous. But, I put all that aside and just went for it. The result? Two fab pillow cases for my living area. Photos coming soon!

36/365: I was all set to do some sewing today but procrastination and indecision took over. Oh, and the fact I’m afraid to cut my material. Someone pass me some sewing cahonos please.

35/365: I had naturally wavy hair as a kid which straightened out as I got older. Yet, every once in a while my hair will just naturally curl. Today was one of those days which I welcome as it means no styling whatsoever. I like that.

34/365: In a scramble to take my photo late at night, all I got is random bathroom accessories. ;)

33/365: In an attempt to take a break from the computer today I pulled out my sketchpads and Prismacolor pencils. It was just one of those days where the creative juices had run dry and I was more productive making pencil shavings than I was sketching.

32/365: I had an appointment downtown today. I typically walk everywhere so couldn’t resist an opportunity to snap some shots on the TTC. I’m really happy with how this shot came out. I had no idea what would be captured as the camera was sat on my knee. Not bad eh?

You know, it’s funny, when I used to work in an office, the distinction between the work week and the weekend was clearly defined. That TGIF (though more likely TFIF) feeling was always buzzing through me. Truth be told, in terms of social activity, I took part in it regardless of the day and I’ve gone into work hungover more times than I care to admit, so plans on the weekend were not necessarily the source of my weekend anticipation. There is something so comforting in knowing that the weekend is just around the corner. Whether your weekend was jam-packed with commitments or destined to be enjoyed in your PJs at home, it was the weekend and that’s all that mattered.

When I started to work for myself, that distinction became very fuzzy if not invisible. Not a weekend went by (other than one camping trip weekend) that I didn’t work in some capacity. In essence, I pretty much worked every day for a full year, for 365 days straight!

Of course, sometimes it was necessary and that’s a pill you simply have to swallow when working for yourself. However, there’s a difference between working out of pure necessity (i.e. to get on top of orders, a great idea you just want to work on) verses working out of self-imposed, unrealistic expectations. Seriously, would a potential customer feel any less of me if I didn’t answer a question at 11pm on a Saturday night? Heck, on any day even? Would a customer feel any less of me if the item they bought on Friday night shipped Monday morning rather than Sunday? My guess is no, they wouldn’t.

It’s not unusual for a bricks and mortar store to have 1 or 2 days of closure per week, so why do we put this pressure on ourselves to be available 24/7? Obviously, much of that pressure comes from the fact our primary presence is online. That alone brings expectations of instant results and constant accessibility. However, there’s a fine line and it’s up to you to keep in visible at all times.

I let it disappear in the beginning and I succumbed to the pressure only to later burn myself out. So, I’m drawing myself a new line. In a big fat marker. I’m taking back my weekends. My business will still be there on Monday, as will the customers, and more importantly, so will I, refreshed and raring to go thanks to two precious days off.

Who owns your weekend? You or your business?

Happy Weekend All!

Photo Credit: *Zara

Despite February getting off to a bit of a rocky start, I’m done complaining about it. Quite frankly, I’m stick of hearing myself complain and sweating stuff I can’t change right now. Yeah, I’ve got shit to do, yeah, I don’t have a functioning printer (I’ve delegated this into the trusty hands of Canon), and yah, lack of creativity might be a bit of an issue, but seriously, there’s eff-all I can do about it without forcing myself into some fake sense of productivity. I’ve tried and I’ve just ended up more frustrated.

I’ve always said the brain is like a muscle. You need to work it out constantly for it to stay in shape, but, like any muscle, it also needs rest and you need to listen for the cues.  So, we’re resting at the coffee shop riding out this rough wave until we find our balance. It’ll come. Always does.

As per the memo received from January, I’m sure you are aware this is a big month for modernemotive. With a very tight budget and strict deadlines, we need to ensure everyone is on board so that all deliverables are on track. I know you met with March to see if some projects could be shifted over there, but it is simply not feasible.

After a performance review with 2010, we both request you have a pep talk with your team. We need to get all projects back on track so it is imperative that all printers and creative juices are working at full capacity. They are the core of this project and we will fail without them.

I understand and appreciate your team is feeling rather broken and burnt out as of late, so we have stocked the supply cupboards with some band-aids that we advise be used immediately. We hope this will help remedy any issues they are facing.

Your cooperation is much appreciated in this matter.

Regards,
Adele

Photo Credit: bombrepeatbomb!1954