Expanding My Little Empire

From dawn to dusk, I'm either thinking about or working on my business. I even wake up at night with ideas for it, from time to time. Being a survivor mentality, I am extremely sensitive and have to channel all of this energy I have, and this works well for me. Learning is eternal, it is part of the job, and so important. There is always something new that I have to take the time to figure out, which is good, keeps the brain on task and sharp. When I'm overloaded, a nap does the trick here and there, then it's back to doing more work. Lately, there's been so much to do, that yes, I get a bit overwhelmed but am busy, and the sales are coming steadily again. Late August is usually slow for sales, but in the Fall, things pick back up and gain momentum. Now, with two venues for my big stores, I feel more positive than ever.

Making a successful store takes planning and organization. It's been so long since I did it from the beginning, but I've been at it again, and it looks good so far. Of course, it takes time for customers to find the new store http://www.cafepress.com/twopurringcats but word spreads and they will come. My job is to make it as easy to navigate and as pretty as possible. As a visual artist, aesthetics are all-important to me, as well as good craftsmanship (nothing sloppy!) and total professionalism. This isn't some thrown together thing..it's thought about, in detail from the very beginning. It's about the details, and I am a serious "detail" person.

So, the new CafePress store is coming along slowly. Looks like nothing yet, but it will later, once I have the graphics in place. My Zazzle store, meanwhile, is doing ok, and sales are picking up again. I just keep my head down and keep working, and it's not work to me, but a puzzle to figure out. Thank goodness it's enjoyable to do. What isn't fun is getting fragmented thoughts, of all the things that need to be done, so that's when I have to prioritize. All of this with no help from anyone, so I check and recheck things here and there to make sure it's all done right.

Being my own boss takes discipline and concentration. The concentration gets hard when I'm tired so I take breaks to re-energize. If I don't, my brain goes to mush. Most artists, including myself, go into "the zone", deep concentration when drawing, painting or creating in general. In order to do this, it's important to keep stress away, and be as calm as possible. This is why it's so important for me to keep my life simple. So far, so good.

So, it's back to work now. Still waiting to get my car back from the mechanics, so it's best to keep making money while waiting for them to finish. Time for another pot of coffee and some fruit. Cats are nearby, sound asleep. Oh, the lives they do lead. I work for them..and enjoy spoiling them rotten when I can. If there'd such thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a pampered, loved housecat.


This is Beau. My little buddy, at my side all of the time as I work.