Day 97: My Work's Purpose

Image from Kelly Rae Roberts.

I think I discovered my life's work today. That's kind of a big deal, right?

I was listening to Kelly Rae Roberts and Beth Nicholls talk about their course, Hello Business, Hello Soul and one of the questions they brought up is: What is the point of your business? Starting with your passion (painting, artwork, etc.), take the conversation to a deeper level and say why your business is important. Why is it you're doing what you're doing?

The answer popped into my head: "I want piddix to help people achieve their dreams." Immediately pieces of my life's work started falling into place: one of my first job titles out of college was "butterfly wrangler," where I helped men with huge ideas get them down on paper into book form. Later, at a great non-profit, my job description (literally) was to "give dreams wings." Managers would come to me with an idea or end-goal in mind, and I was responsible for figuring out a way to get there. Michael Gerber in his book, The E-Myth Revisited, would label me a Manager, someone who "turns visions into action."

With piddix, my collage sheet customers are incredibly kind and giving. They put others, especially family and loved ones, before themselves. They have dreams of taking time for themselves to be more creative, of selling crafts to help support their family financially, of feeling the loving response from friends and coworkers when they give them a handmade gift. By offering high quality, crisp, legal, easy-to-use images, and pairing them with all kinds of free tutorials (oh, the possibilities!), I'm able to offer the inspiration to move people toward being more creative and fulfilled. This goal of inspiring others leads much of what I do at piddix: it's why I write articles on how to sell on etsy; it's why I send out newsletters filled with inspiring links and free downloads.

Yes, I realize it might sound a bit lofty to think that a craft supply can help people achieve their dreams. For years I quietly struggled with the idea that my artwork and piddix wasn't nearly as important as the work I'd done previously in social service. But I believe piddix customers want to create, to be loved, to be fulfilled, and to offer something beautiful to the world. And I love the idea that my collage sheets can help in that process.