A friend's advice when I mentioned my concerns:
"In a bad economy, make simple utilitarian but well made leather work. Make it in more tempting price ranges. Save the over the top for good times or when you have a big reputation."
My reply:
"Thank you for the advice about the leatherwork. That seems very reasonable, and of course since we are just getting started and I am a complete newbie at this craft, plain is what we are doing!
"I was really discouraged last night; I had planned on five bags from the hide we bought but didn't allow for sizing up the bags, and only got three. They're going to be very, very nice--it's a wonderful piece of leather!--but we needed five. I can make at least one small one and the remnants are making sturdy straps for the other bags, but dang, that was discouraging. Luckily, we still have the softer garment weight leather and I am doubling up on the back and bottom to make those bags sturdier. They are the intermediate size and I hope they will come out the way I envision!"
Further comments for yanno, blogly documentarian purposes *grin*:
I actually flared up my carpal tunnel trying to make the holes for stitching last night, and that was a huge part of my discouragement. My wrists are better today but I am being careful with them, and Gryph is doing all the hole punching now.
I was amazed to find out that even Gryph's muscles cannot get the smaller punch through the thick leather, and yanno... I don't feel like such a failure now.
Here we come to the crux of my matter, and get right back to the reason for this blog: to deal with ALL the parts of "making dreams" including the things that have kept me from making dreams in the past. I don't know why hitting obstacles seems to always induce this sense of being a failure; I mean come on now, we aren't even talking about thinking I have failed in a particular project--which I haven't yet, come to think of it!--we are talking about a part of my identity changing from "successful person" to "failure as a person" and doesn't that seem like... oh, I don't know... an OVER-REACTION or something? *wry smile*
Well, you can't change things you can't see, and now that I can see this one, maybe I can process it to death, get a handle on it and regain my perspective, eh? *eyeroll at self* hey, they don't call me a Processing Queen for nothing... *wry laugh*
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To live without regrets is to take a risk...
ReplyDeleteThat risk is often scary, and you can often find many reasons not to do it, and live in the mind numbing madness that a lot of people choose to live in.
You are a crafter, a creator with a good partner-- not trying is not in the program I think.
Something that it took me a long time to learn is its okay to feel-- as long as you don't let the shadow emotions take over your life.
False Evidence Appearing Real.
May you have much abundance and prosperity in the days ahead. Be proud of the fact that you are taking a chance and choosing to live.
Its amazing powerful stuff when you do.
It has been a amazing joy to see what kinda of a partner gryph's found. Tell her a sister up from washington is incredibly proud of both of you.
blessings on the journey.
Hello K.G., tis nice to meet you! Thank you very much for the encouragement and support! You've certainly nailed the two options...and many times in my past I *have* chosen not to risk.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me about the true definition of fear.
Thank you for the blessing wish! I know Gryph will appreciate it too. And thank you very much for saying you're proud of us. That means a lot!
Blessings to you, also!
Cath
Hmmmm...."Processing Queen"...I like that. Processing is good (I think about things a lot too), but sometimes during tasks, you just have to turn off your mind and get through it. That's how i feel about machine quilting--I just do it because it needs to be done. No way around it, nothing for it but to just do it. No processing, just action. I never thought about it before...or never "processed" it before...
ReplyDeleteWell Lisa, you might very well be right about that! I certainly get more done when I turn off the thinking and just DO it.
ReplyDelete*sheepish look* I also get more done when I turn off the *computer* and just DO it... so I haven't been online as much lately. It's hard for me to find that balance; the computer is the one that gets given up most often, because when I give up food or sleep I get really cranky for some reason.
Hmmmm.... I'll have to Process that! *grin*