This year's Christmas tree
I hope you've all had wonderful holidays and have taken the
time to eat, drink, and be merry with all your loved ones. I've
been busy playing host for Christmas dinner and having fun at other
celebrations. I'm not working (at my day job) this week, and am
finding myself loving the freedom this week is bringing. I spend a
few hours in bed this morning looking through craft books, am
thinking up plans for the new year, and am going over and reviewing
this first year of manusmade.
What a wonderful year it has been. Crazy, busy, frustrating,
learning, reflective, confusing, building, laying groundwork,
and arriving at moments of clarity. These are the words I think of
that encapsulate this past year.
It is hard to believe that manusmade opened its doors just this
past March. I have met so many wonderful people, made so many
things, build fabulous relationships, learned so much, and have
grown so much as a person. All thanks to you. Seriously, I would
not be in the same place today without you - wonderful friends,
partners, and customers. 2011 was about laying ground, building a
strong foundation on which I can grow manusmade. In this respect,
especially, it was successful.
- I opened my Etsy shop on March 17, something I've wanted to
do for ages
- I volunteered at a few craft shows in town, putting myself
out there, introducing myself to other artisans
- I participated in my first craft show in June - Idle
Hands - I was proud to sell my goods and meet customers
face-to-face
- I got accepted as a permanent member of Urban
Craft, and have sold really well at this monthly craft show at
an amazing venue
- I was a book club babe as part of ARTrepreneur, a fabulous online community for
creative entrepreneurs
- I was interviewed by Danielle Cresp for Scoutie
Girl's series Where Craftiness Come From
- I worked with Meagan Gallagher from Method and
Madness and learned so much about myself and my business
- I worked on finding my voice on the blog, realizing that
the more I put myself out there, am honest and open, the more I get
out of it (interaction and relationship-building with YOU)
- I am finding my feet and feeling more comfortable marketing
manusmade in ways that feel right to me
- I realized what my worth is to manusmade - as designer,
planner, inventor, marketer, and relationship-builder.
- I figured out what my tipping points are - how busy I can get
before it becomes too much for me, how many things I can take on
before it's no longer fun
- I figured out some plans to deal with the aftermaths of those
tipping points - how to be productive without getting stressed, how
to take care of myself so I don't burnout, how to delegate things
that are no longer important for me to do. ----> this one here
was such a huge epiphany for me this year
- I reached out to Deanna with an inkling of a dream, and now we
have planned an amazing retreat in this Spring, in
Santa Fe. I am blown away by the journey of this experience,
and can't wait for May 2012
No matter how much I outlined what I wanted to accomplish in
2011 (back in January), there was no way I could have imagined how
fantastic it would actually turn out. I will need to remember that
for next year - plans may take me in a new direction; things may
take longer to do than I anticipate; or I will simply not want to
follow through with something I originally thought I wanted. I
know that for 2012 I will continue to have amazing experiences, and
will hopefully be blown away at the end of the year with the things
I have accomplished and learned along the way.
Thank you again, my wonderful readers and friends for being a
part of this ride, you are truly amazing.