Do you know how it is to be in your early forties and feel
like you have virtually nothing to show for the time you’ve had on earth? And
you don’t even have children to consider a personal accomplishment? Well, I do.
I’ve tried on a few professions on for size over the last
20+ years as an adult, including artist/painter, muralist, organic farmer, real
estate agent, author, illustrator, BBQ food truck operator and retail store
manager. One thing that I have learned about myself is that not only do I need a
decent amount of creative freedom in my career, but physical-gypsy-nomadic
freedom.
I had seriously considered opening an ice cream shop that
specialized in ultra premium concoctions made from locally sourced and fair
trade organic ingredients. I even began sampling beautifully decorated cookies
and I learned how to decorate cakes with fondant and molding chocolate. It was
so much fun! Sounds luscious doesn’t it? It was, and is, but do you have any
idea how early bakers have to get up? Not to mention the stunning amount of
gov’t agencies, licenses and permits involved in making this type of business
legal, it makes the parts of my being that seem to be allergic to restraint,
shiver. Early hours, endless sourcing of ingredients, regulations
and not unlike hand painting furniture or murals, I’d have to physically make a
million cookies or quarts of ice cream to sell that many, does not help to make
it a dream come true. *Let us not forget, ice cream sales depend highly on the
weather. And after watching my life savings and my home disintegrate while trying to make
an organic farm work, I have vowed never again to have a business where success
or failure depends mainly on the temperamental whims of Mother Nature.
Over the last couple of years I have been doing a lot of
soul searching, class taking and brain wracking trying to figure out what I
want to be when I grow up, if ever that may happen.
There has always been a part of me that wanted to design
clothing. In fact, it was the first realistic career I wanted as a child and
late into my teen years. I say realistic because for the longest time, I
thought I’d be the Queen. Imagine my dismay when I learned you had to be born
into a royal family. I was practically inconsolable. I mean what’s the point if
you’re not Queen? What the hell else is there? Anyway, I digress… often.
I didn’t go into clothing or fashion design because—well a
million reasons that seemed important at the time. But in reality the whole
concept seemed so foreign to me that I fully believe I needed these last twenty
something years to grow enough personally and professionally to be able to
handle the challenges that go along with a career such as this one, and to have
enough confidence in my own ideas and opinions to put them out in front of the
public on a large scale. No more creating once to sell once. I will create once
to sell a million times… at least.
After no less than 48, yes, forty-eight calls and emails to
patternmakers, fabric suppliers and manufacturers with NO reply, I finally got
someone to message me back! And she led me to a wonderful company that is
literally just ten miles from my house! They have demystified the process
completely and are so helpful. I believe they are genuinely excited about
working on my designs, as they are the essence of cuteness. I've recived a ton of great professional help, feedback and encouragement about my ideas and concept so I'm very excited to start sharing this with everyone!
Stay tuned…
Heidi
