by Laurie May on August 14, 2011
I was going to reopen my Etsy shop this weekend.
But instead, I’m going to cook, and clean, and sort baby clothes. Do yoga, share photos, send presents to new babies and friends. Buy wedding gifts and eat brownies. Pet the cat. Try to be nicer to my amazing husband. Plan a beach vacation. And maybe even watch some “Master Chef” on hulu. I am keeping busy and learning to live a little simpler and enjoy spending time with Nat and John and friends and our dog. I have been mending toys and clothes, but I haven’t made anything in over a moth. And I’m ok with that.
It’s some sort of transition and I’m embracing it.
If you had told me a few years ago, or even one year ago, that I’d be leaning away from owning a small artistic/creative business to be a “homemaker” with a part-time job in someone else’s business, I would have probably said you were crazy. But here we are. I’m trying to go on a low-stress diet, and I think it’s working. More-or-less, of course.
For now, it’s a wait-and-see, and that’s really ok. Isn’t it? I still have big things up my sleeves, and I’m not abandoning the creating or the business I’ve built, but I’m pushing it a little farther back on the shelf I put it on last month. I hope it doesn’t get too dusty up there, but I think I know how to clean it up if it does.
by Laurie May on August 7, 2011
a whole lotta living going on around here these days. The trees are humming with cicadas and we are swimming and grilling and laughing and sweating and picking flowers and enjoying being together. Singing along to “Baby Signing Time” and loving it. At least for the first 15 or so times each day. hehe.
by Laurie May on July 22, 2011
There’s something in the air these days.
and no, it’s not just pollen or humidity
I’m talking about the idea of stepping back, unplugging and slowing down.
I mentioned the idea of re-evaluating a few weeks ago, and the idea has been growing and growing in my mind. I need some time to think, to breathe, to make space. I need space in my house, both my physical/literal house, but also my metaphorical/sipritual house. Things are getting pretty jumbled up in there. It’s been over a year now since Natalie joined our family, and I need to take stock of how we’re living. What we’re spending our days on, how we move and grow in our home, how we take care of ourselves and each other, and seemingly less important these days (but really something I’d like to become more important again) how we make money and how we work, what we DO. Because really, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives, right? I think I read that on an inspirational magnet somewhere…. but it’s so true!
here are a few of the blog posts that resound with me lately:
Christine at Lavendar & Limes went on vacation
&
Maeg at Edison Rex went on walkabout (and won’t be back at her blog/business till September — inspiring!)
So… I’m thinking of following in their footsteps. I already closed my Etsy shop for my staycation, and I think it might have to stay closed until I either have new work to add to it, or have a new brand/business to reopen it with. I’m not making any promises or grand statements or creating any self-imposed time limits on this one. I think I’ve learned my lesson with that. But I think I will be back, and I imagine I will be looking for more accountability from y’all. This isn’t even another I’m-not-going-to-blog post, but it is something of a “get out of blogging free” card, if you catch my meaning. I’m unplugging, and we’ll see where it goes from there. I feel better already. Don’t you?
Does this idea make sense to you? Does it call to you? Then do it! Unplug! Make art! Make space! Play and create and lounge and read and do yoga and garden and cook and nap and go to bed early and stop comparing yourself with bloggers/facebook friends/famous people — just be you and enjoy your life, today. Have an average day!
by Laurie May on July 15, 2011
This baby of ours is quickly turning into a KID. She is blowing us away by learning new words every day (and repeating everything we say!). She is also a master walker/runner and working on her climbing skills.
Over the 4th of July weekend we spent lots of time with family members she’d either never met or hadn’t seen in a while, but she learned everyone’s name! Some are truncated versions (”Julee” for Juliet, but it’ll do!), but they are all adorable versions of the names — “sah-rah” might be my favorite. And she knows a lot of Sarah/Saras so it’s a good one to learn!
She has also started taking our hands and dragging us where she wants to go. She’s very clear about what she wants. And takes after her mama and gets SUPER mad when she doesn’t get what it is she’s asking for. hehe.
by Laurie May on July 7, 2011
by Laurie May on June 28, 2011
It’s finally (finally!) truly, really, actually summer here in the Berkshires!
Everything is green and lush and buzzing and blooming and chirping, and we are swimming as much as possible and we are enjoying the company of friends and family, and sitting on the deck, and watching fireflies.
This summer is different than other summers, though. We are also going to bed early and chasing a little girl who desperately wants to run everywhere, but really isn’t quite able to. She gets to frustrated when we slow her down! But of course with running-when-you-really-don’t-know-how comes falling, and crying, and new bumps and bruises. Her knees are bruised and she has another one on her cheek, but she doesn’t care! The girl has practically no fear! Unless, of course, you are a stranger, who your mother might leave you with. Then you are scary and horrible and how-dare-you. But that’s just the way it goes. If you are within mom’s reach, everything must be safe. Ah, if only it were so, little one!
But we are also enjoying seeing the excitement of summer through her eyes. She was so little last summer that she didn’t really get to experience much of it, except being really hot all the time (it was so hot!). But this year is different. She is walking and running and talking and experiencing all there is to experience! The world is so exciting to her! And I want to keep it that way.
So we are retreating this week, going to pretend we are also on vacation! This was a little idea I had the other night — we live in a place where thousands of people come for vacations every summer. Why not join them? And we have some family coming in from the west coast, some of whom have never been here, so I’ve decided Natalie and I are going to join them on some of their vacation! (I hope they don’t mind if we tag along?!) This might include, but is not limited to, swimming a lot, hiking and canoeing (ok babies might not come canoeing!), visiting our local museums and galleries, shopping and maybe eating too much, but definitely lolling around, chatting, drinking lemonade and resting. Oh and of course not working. That’s the part I really like. Lately I have been in a constant feeling-guilty-if-I’m-not-working-but-not-having-time-to-work mode, and it’s getting a little exhausting. So here’s to letting myself off the hook and going on staycation! Have a happy 4th, y’all!
by Laurie May on June 23, 2011
After writing that last post about berries and the Northwest and summer and water, I just had to haul out the old photo albums and do a little reminiscing. These photos were taken by me and some University of Puget Sound (UPS) friends, using an underwater disposable camera, at Nolte Lake, summer 2003 — oh and the kiddie pool shot is from the backyard of our ad-hoc theatre Fraternity house, MuNu (that’s me under and in the boat, 2nd and 3rd photos).
Ah, college. This was the summer after I graduated, and most of my friends and I were all only working part-time, and enjoying life full-time. Oh that is so cheezy, but so true.
I was feeling nostalgic about the lake, dreaming about that Northwest summer, and then just this past weekend we found out that our town has the lovliest little beach on a lake! It turns out we knew about it but but didn’t think it was so great. So we had ignored it for the last 5 summers! So sad, really. Natalie went with our friend Sylvie on Monday morning, and then we all went in the evening. I think it was the best day of Natalie’s life so far. And as soon as the rain stops we are planning to spend many days there. And I’m planning to channel that full-time-life-enjoying spirit of those “old days”.
by Laurie May on June 14, 2011
This is the time of year the Rainer Cherries appear in our supermarkets. I live on the opposite side of the country now, but back in college I was in the Pacific Northwest, reveling in all its beauty and bounty.
I have such great memories of driving out to our favorite lake for a swim, stopping at roadside farm-stands to buy a bag of these beauties to enjoy as our post-swim snack.
We also spent some time on the shores of Puget Sound, foraging for wild Salmonberries — I highly recommend that if you ever get the chance. Oh and don’t get me started on Marionberries! (and Marionberry pie!)
The days were hot and dry in the summer, so surprising to this New Englander who knew only the Northwest of movies like “Sleepless in Seattle” and books like “Snow Falling on Cedars” — I think I was ready for thunderstorms every day. We probably had 4 in my whole time there.
So here’s to sun and summer and swimming in wild bodies of water (we did try to paddle our inflatable raft in Puget Sound once — that was a bad idea and thankfully we were tied in. Reckless college kids!)!
Natalie’s favorite berry is “black” — blackberries by the handful, saying “black black black!” She can’t say the “berry” part yet, multi-syllable words are tough. But she’s working on it. And “strawberry” sounds a bit like “srawmb” — I’ll take it!
by Laurie May on June 8, 2011
I am so thrilled and flattered to be Maeg Yosef’s (aka Edison Rex) Art Crush of the week! Check out the interview I did with her here!
by Laurie May on June 1, 2011
good morning afternoon. Do I look tired? I think I perpetually do these days, but I’m working today (yay!) and getting things done! (and drinking lots of this green superfood drink to rev up my energy!)
Today I did an interview on a friend’s blog that will post soon. Then I uploaded a bunch of old (and some new-ish) images to flickr so there’s a current collection of my work there. It was getting pretty stale. And worked on my lessons from the online course From the Fishbowl to the Sea — so great! This course has me taking stock of where I am, where I have come from and where I am going in this big ol’ fishbowl of being an artist online (and off!). Being in business for myself has been so fun, but I definitely don’t think I’m running a profitable business and I am certainly running on the hamster wheel of survival and making it work but not “really” working. :::sigh::::
But really… where have I been? Sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve come very far since starting this business, but when I really look at it, I have! If anything, I have gained confidence in talking about it — saying “I am an artist” and “I am a business owner”!
I also think despite not making much work this past year (been otherwise occupied, it seems!), my style has evolved and I feel much more professional. Is that weird that I’m not doing as much work but I feel more professional? Hah. I guess I’m just not approaching it in such a carefree and casual way, it’s more important to spend time efficiently when I do get to work. I get stuck in this, too, though — I don’t want to “waste” my time, so I just end up doing little bits of things here and there, not really getting anything done most days. So here is my recent commitment, saying it to you might make it real: I want to paint more, make more, sell more! I am going to turn this into a thriving, profitable business one way or another. It might have to change completely, but that’s ok! Change is good. And sometimes welcome.
Starting with…. changing my business name? Just toying with the idea of dropping the “Designs” part…from the website anyway…. what do you think? I don’t even know how to do it on Etsy… I don’t think I can change the name there, but I could just change the banner and make it say “Laurie Coyle” with some kind of catchy tagline? Thoughts?
