Now, I've been burnt out before, but never like this. I have burnout on top of burnout. When you run a crafty biz you don't have much time for burnout recovery, do you? Nope. You job is to keep creating. To keep churning out the handmade goodness at the rate of a small factory. Ug, that is hard work. It's compounded when you have a staff that relies on you to help pay the rent. No matter how much stress you have, stress sucks!! Big. Time.
As some of you may have noticed I stopped making handmade goods for now. My Modern June Etsy shop is on vacation and that I'm only selling fabrics on my website, Modern June and at Oilcloth Addict. Why? Well, that's a big question, and the answer requires us to sit down for over a long dinner while sharing a bottle of w(h)ine. For now, I'm just trying to open up and share a bit more in-the-now, after I've mentally processed it a bit, and I'm a little less raw.
So to kick-off my journey, I'm sharing my Instagram story from a few weeks ago:
It's an honor to have all day to play (around and draw all day) like this!! Not too long ago my days where filled with making cool loot! I really enjoyed making tablecloths and other useful goodies until a year ago. Work and staff management kept me away from my kids for 9-14 hours a day. Even when I was home I was working on the computer or at my sewing machine. I would go weeks at a time without a day off. Basically, I was more than exhausted. The more successful I was, the more there was to manage. Money, supplies, and Junies (my workers). When I started #modernjune 8 1/2 years ago I never really meant to run a company. I never imagined writing sewing books, or having a staff. I had no idea that all of these things were possible. I rode the waves of hard work and opportunity where they took me, rarely saying "no." Over committed was my middle name!! Until last year, when I caught myself in a lie!! I told a customer who was gushing over my booth filled with product, that I had a blast managing the making of it all. The fact was, I was tired and I missed being #mamahen! It nearly took me an entire year to whittle down Modern June to a manageable specialty #fabricshop, Oilcloth Addict! Now, everyday I try to be creative! I do a little drawing or crocheting before and after I #homeschool our teenaged kids. Every day I remind myself that #mycreativitydoesntneedtobemonetized. I remind myself that my self worth does not have to be tied to my success as an #entrepreneur and maker. Sometimes being a mom is everything! Soon enough, I'll have an empty nest and I'll be able to do all kinds of crazy things I never thought were possible! #grateful!How have you beat burnout? Leave me a comment below so we can chat about it. Also, check out my Instagram and see daily drawings and much more!
