2014 - Year of the Hygge

Happy New Year, Internet!

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014.

Last year was a whirlwind. We planned a wedding, had a wedding, and then spent three weeks in Europe. I grew my small business, had my first solo art show, and the busiest holiday season since I started Egg-A-Go-Go in 2004. We drove to Delaware to see my cousin get married and we went to countless family gatherings. We weathered a blizzard and community gardened. I taught some workshops and made plans to teach more. It was a very good year.



As a small business person (or any creative human juggling work and making), it's hard to let yourself checkout once in a while. 2013 was a non-stop type of year. Even when we were off having adventures, I was always thinking about Egg-A-Go-Go tasks and plans as well as other TO DO lists I had rolling around in my head. Maybe this constant busy brain lead to it being a very successful year for my business but I know it took away from family and friend time.



A couple of weeks ago, someone posted a link to this article about the Danish word/concept/lifestyle - Hygge. And I can't stop thinking about it. In short, it's an appreciation of quiet, patient, cozy times with friends and family.



I need to make hygge my word for the year. I need to slow down and make time for less doing. The idea goes against a lot of what I've been trying to do for the past 15 months - work as hard as I can, as much as I can so I can avoid going back to a cubicle and can continue making things to make people happy full-time.

Slowing down. Sitting quietly. Tea with friends. Visiting family at times other than holidays. Cooking meals. Sharing meals. Hikes, bikes, strolls into town. Leaving my phone and email out of sight and mind for a day. Watching water boil for tea. Drawing and painting more just because, not just for sale.



In 2014 I would like to also do more for others. I want to volunteer, I want to write more letters, I want to take good care of my family, friends and Curtis. I am so thankful for my life, my health, and how good I really do have it. I need to take some time to appreciate those things.



There are already a few small things I do to try to slow my thinking and enjoy my time each day. When the weather is nice, I make a point to go and walk around Jamaica Pond. I try to make myself a good breakfast every morning and I TRY to not do any work/emailing/list-making while I'm eating. These are very small things and I definitely can't do them everyday, but it's a start.



Another recent discovery that I made is the "do not disturb" setting on my iPhone. It sounds so silly but it's great. I first employed it at night when my etsy shop was super busy and I was getting a lot of notifications via email. By switching on the DND function, the phone doesn't make a sound, light up or vibrate when a transmission comes in. It just sits quietly and when you turn on the screen, all of your pop-up notifications are there to be discovered when you DO want to work on stuff. I thought about just turning the phone off all together but I use it as an alarm clock and the setting does allow the phone to ring if chosen people call repeatedly. HIGHLY recommended.



So anyway. Happy New Year, friends. Thanks for reading and looking at my photos here. I don't know if my new adoption of hygge-as-lifestyle will lead to more or fewer blog posts but you know where else to find me.

Wishing you a 2014 filled with art and coziness and time for quiet thinks.
xo
Sarah

Egg-A-Go-Go out in the real world

I was corresponding with some shops this morning and realized I don't have an updated online list of the places my products are carried in the real world!

Let's meet the fine establishments that have exquisite taste and carry my work, shall we? :)

Aviary Gallery - Jamaica Plain MA


Magpie - Somerville MA


Craftland - Providence RI


Lollipop Seeds - Chicago IL


Mama Luna Apothecary - Stillwater MN


And COMING SOON to
Black Bear Brooklyn - Brooklyn NY


I love selling online and at shows but it is such a different kind of thrill to know that my little onesies and cards and other handmade goods are out in the world, sitting on shelves and hanging on racks, waiting for new homes. I've only been to Aviary, Magpie and Craftland (three of my nearest and dearest shops!) but I would love to visit the others if I'm ever in their neighborhoods...and I hope you will too!



Thank you so much to my online fans, the craft fair-goers, the shop owners and customers, and everyone else who makes it possible for me to get my work out into the world. I wouldn't be who I am without you!

xo
Sarah

If you can call it work.

New England Winter is fully upon us and it's time to get cozy and/or begrudgingly scramble around the city on errands as quickly as possible.

Indoors...

Cat assistants


Taking stock of winter reading.


High-quality breakfasts.

Outdoors...

Bundled-up walks do nearby urban wilds.


Delivering art and wholesale orders is a great excuse for a quick cozy lunch.

The paintings in-transit above are now at Gather Here for the month of February. Eleven original watercolors of varying sizes looking for new homes (and priced to move). Later this month I will be teaching a (sold out!) screen printing workshop at GH. Next month I will be teaching the same workshop at Eliot School here in JP.

So that's my life lately. I'm currently painting when I can, acting as a (very) part-time teacher and a full-time small business owner (seeking new wholesale customers for screen printed goods and stationery). It feels pretty good and we'll see if I can keep pursuing this combination of things as my capital J Job. Wish me luck! :)

xo
Sarah

Post HolidayRest catch-up.

Well Hello!

Things have been busy and restful and I took some time off (mostly off, not completely) to spend time with family and friends for the holidays and to ring in the new year.



We were in NH and MA for four days of Christmas and then went up to Vermont with friends to say happy new year. I've only been to Vermont a handful of times but should probably visit more regularly. It's is so beautiful up there.



Now we are officially home and my to-do list is a mile long.



I have some contract work to do in the next week along with some class-planning and of course, wedding tasks. It's a lot but it's good. Time to get back to work.

I'm guessing there won't be time for new personal and painting work until mid-month but that's okay! A fresh new year is a great time for planning and working and getting all kinds of things done.



I hope your holidays were fun and relaxing and I hope that you have some great fun lined up for 2013!

xo
Sarah

Motivation Loop

So far unemployment is weird. It's definitely a learning experience. I still feel strange and a little bit lost and definitely a touch overwhelmed at times. But I also feel positive and optimistic and un-stressed. I think everything balances out to a nice comfortable neutral with potential.



The ups and downs are still catching me by surprise. Yesterday I slept a little later than I intended and felt pretty gloomy most of the morning. I half-heartedly tried to get some things done and take my daily walk around the pond but made it only as far as the grocery. I bought ingredients for vegetable stew and came home feeling pretty deflated. But I made the stew and felt a little better.



Today was entirely different. I woke up on time and immediately got to work. I finished the second draft of a custom illustration and went for my walk. Now I'm here, typing this post. I feel good and inspired (that walk always does the trick!) and I'm ready to do some more things. Being left to my own devices is a little unpredictable.
I'm definitely discovering that my motivation only comes if I get something done first. It's like I have to work to earn the inspiration to work more. I have to make the first move.

We'll see how it goes...for however long this no-job-thing lasts.



xo
Sarah

Topsy Turvy

Hello Internet!



Remember how I've been blathering on and on about how crazy September will be/is? Art shows, charity walks, prepping for open studios? Well it got a lot crazier on Friday. After over six years at my day job I was laid off. It's a mixed bag of feelings but one truth is that I've got plenty of time for getting ready for JPOS!

And that's exactly what I've been doing.



I've been painting and prepping all day every day and last night Megan came over to help me price some work. This is my first year at the event so I don't know what to expect. I'm hoping to sit with my stuff, paint, and talk to folks. If things sell - great! I know it will be a very different experience than the Bazaar Bizarre or other fairs and I can't wait to see how it goes!





I have no idea if I'll get everything done in time but my fingers are crossed...all of them. Once JPOS is over I'll have time to fully grasp the whole unemployed thing. Right now I feel like I still have work to do - and I do, and always will. Irons in many fires and what not.
And I'm definitely not complaining about my now daily walk around Jamaica Pond!



I'm hoping that getting laid off is the beginning of a story that ends with "...so losing my job was the best thing that ever happened to me!"
We will see...

What I've Been Working On Lately

Mixer Prints for the shop


A new little screenprint design - happy potted plants!


Making new and different things for JP Open Studios - NEXT MONTH!


Catching up on wholesale and consignment with some dearly beloved shops.

Tuesdays are my new favorite days.

So here I am. It's a regular Tuesday but I am not at work. I'm not sick. I'm not on vacation. I just don't work on Tuesdays any more.



I reached the five-year mark at my day job and got a little antsy. It's a great job but I want to do a lot of other things too. Forty hours a week at the same computer was just a little too much.

I have Megan to thank in big part for this change. A few months ago she sent me a link to a class she wanted me to take with her. I looked at the rest of the courses offered and saw "Botanical Drawing" Tuesday mornings for 10 weeks starting January 10th. This is the conversation that followed:

Megan: do it with me!!!!
me: naaaaaaaah. if i took a class it would prob be in painting or pottery.
Megan: dangit
me: or Botanical Drawing
Megan: DO IT
me: but TUESDAY AM class. gaaaaah.
Megan: say you want to work 32 hours a week. see if they are like 'ok'
me: oh man.
it cant possibly be that easy.
Megan: BUT IT ISSSSSSSSS
easy enough to ask.

And it was! I asked and it was ok'd! I don't know if all jobs are as flexible but mine was. In all honesty, I did take a pay cut but I think it's worth it. As Megan said: "think - how much brain space/happiness would you increase by having a whole day off to DO STUFF?"

So starting NEXT Tuesday I will be taking Botanical Drawing in Cambridge on Tuesday mornings and will spend the rest of the day drawing or painting or doing Egg-A-Go-Go business stuff. Maybe it's a way to keep me happy at my regular day job, maybe it's a way to work towards making art my full-time job. We'll see how it works out.

I'm excited.



xo
Sarah