Conflicted but creative
I’ve had quite a time this weekend. On the one hand, after seeing my business mentor I feel very conflicted, but on the other hand I’m feeling fulfilled at being creatively productive.
Here’s my dilemma
I’m in my fifties and I know that in order to have a better quality of life further on down the track and looking towards retirement age, I need to put into place some sensible strategies now in order to create more passive income later. I like the internet and social media (can’t you tell from reading this blog?) and so am looking at using my website to sell more of my creations as well as e-books and e-courses.
In my past, I’ve produced guided relaxation cds and these sell well in a couple of reputable businesses in the city and have done for years, and I also have sound bytes on my current (old) website so people can listen to them and decide via the internet instead of going physically shopping.
Also in my past – although to be honest it seems more like a past life – I’ve run workshops (creative expression, relaxation, meditation) and love working with people and seeing a transformation through the process.
So long-term, creating internet-friendly books and courses to assist people to do this and also free themselves to be more creative, is a concept that sits well with me.
Trouble is, my conflict comes because I’m a bit of a short-term pleasure girl.
I also have a good excuse to continue this tendency: I have markets coming up and I want to create more silk and felt jewellery, scarves and accessories to sell. Not only for the money. I just love making things. But, I can’t do two things at once given my time constraints and fluffy personality that’s not as organised as I could be if I’m really honest with myself. (I could do with one of those chaise long psychiatrist couches at this point).
If I don’t get these e-books etc completed I can’t put them on my website for sale and I haven’t advanced any further towards my long-term goals.
Do you ever find yourself conflicted with “should do” vs “creativity now”?
Anyway, this whole dilemma has left me feeling a tad irritated.
So, have I been working on completing my other e-things this fine dry Australian autumn weekend?
No. And anyone who knows me would add: “of course not”.
This is what I’ve been doing since my meeting with my truly lovely and genuine mentor at the end of last week. I got out my half-finished book –
and before we go any further, I know I can finish a book because I have a completed contemporary romance on Amazon Kindle and those people who have read it from there and my hard copy at home have said it’s a page turner! (For anyone interested, it’s here).
– and I sat down with my e-book paperwork folder, shuffled the paper around, wrote some ideas up on my whiteboard and loaded Kingston Office App on my phone. It’s a free app that I discovered that will enable me to use my smart phone as a word processor.
See, I’m a bit stubborn when I have to decide doing what I want and doing what I should. Always have been. But that’s a whole topic for another day lol.
The solution to my dilemma
The long and the short of it is that after a brief sojourn into my e-book, I have come to a solution of sorts. What I’ve decided to do is spend the next couple of weeks making felt toward the Mother’s Day markets and when I get on the plane to the UK in the middle of May for a three week trip, I’ll use my flying time wisely and complete my e-book using my new Kingston Office App (which will save me from taking my laptop and which I’ve also linked to Dropbox which is also a free program that means I can transfer my files from my phone to my home pc).
Please Gawd help there not to be any good in-flight movies showing…
This weekend’s creativity
I’m happy after doing what I really wanted to do: hand-dying, sewing, cutting, beading, stringing and completing a couple of new accessories. I’ve made more jewellery and dyed wool and silk and a lovely open weave scarf a friend brought me back from Thailand, and also tried my hand at covering a Galaxy phone case with a beautiful piece of blue/green felt.
I managed to spill a bowl of raspberry dye all over the kitchen counter top, but after a few expletives and a lot of bleach (sorry environment), the kitchen actually looks a lot cleaner than it did before.
So yeah, I even got some housework done!
I won’t bore you any more with details, but will leave you with a gallery of various pics of this weekend’s handiwork.
