Jumping About

I love this awesome fashion print from the 1800s because the woman on the left looks like she's rolling her eyes, which has almost nothing to do with the article below.

I think a lot of creative types like to jump from one new idea to another. It keeps things fresh and fun, and we can always be dreaming, planning and imagining the next steps for the next big thing.

I try to keep this "jumping" in check a bit by deeply focusing on one new project every quarter. I might spend three months on licensing, then another three working on art prints. My 100-day-quest was (duh) about three months, and right now I'm in the middle of three months of new collage sheets through the piddix subscription. Which means I'm also in the middle of deciding what to do in September when the subscription ends for 2013.

I've been thinking a lot about writing a book. I learned a ton during my 100-day-quest and feel like it could help others who struggle with the fear of fully embracing their creative life. But I've been feeling an equally strong pull toward focusing on licensing again, possibly through taking Lilla Rogers' "Make Art that Sells" class." And tonight Lilla's book "I Just Like to Make Things" arrived at my doorstep and is definitely pulling me in that direction.

Writing my own book would be for others, doesn't fit within my business plan, wouldn't make much money, but keeps taking shape inside of me. I keep writing bits of it down on paper. It's most definitely struggling to get out.

The licensing fits completely within my business plan, would be a ton of fun (I love making new art) and could help piddix grown financially. Even just writing down the differences makes licensing seem like the obvious choice. But will "the book" quiet down? Or will it continue to struggle within me until I get it down on paper?

What to do; what to do….

Luckily, I have a big distraction in the form of a tradeshow in just TWO WEEKS. Plus, did I mention that this is finally happening? Many, many digital files to prep, print, package and send.

Often when I'm at this type of crossroads, a bit of time and serendipitous advice tends to send me down my path. I have a feeling whatever happens at CHA (tons of orders, none at all, new connections, etc.) will also help sway me one way or another. Being at a crossroads, and having periods of thoughtful indecision, have become a frequent theme over the last several years in my business. I can't decide whether I like it or not, but at least for the moment, it's an inescapable part of how I run my business. I wonder if there's another, better way to go about it, or if I should just embrace this jumping about as another part of living a creative life.