Now that my son is getting into a somewhat regular nap and bedtime schedule, I’m finding a bit more time to make jewelry - 30 minutes here and there where I can be reasonably sure I won’t be interrupted - and I realized it’s been a while since I sat down and thought about where my business is headed, what my goals are as an artist/crafter, and all that stuff that affects what I make, what I sell, and whether or not it’s profitable.

The other night after my son went to sleep, I sat down with a glass of wine and my journal and did some freewriting about what my ideal business would be like.

I helped clarify a few things for me: namely, that I’m in this business because I love making jewelry, so I should focus on making jewelry that I love above all else. Sometimes when I worry about the bottom line, I get trapped into thinking about what I make in terms of whether or not it will sell, or whether I can make multiples of it. And that can be very stifling, creatively speaking.

So, about halfway through my glass of wine, I decided no more making things that bore me just because I need a sale. No more worrying about the end result when I’m designing, since I can always take jewelry apart and use the parts in another way if it doesn’t turn out as fabulous as I envisioned.

And for some reason, all that daydreaming about the perfect jewelry business gave me a really interesting idea for a new series of jewelry, and I started sketching and freewriting about my design ideas. It was one of my most productive on-paper design sessions in…well, at least a year I guess. I got so excited about trying out my new ideas that I got out some wire and tools right there on my bed and started working on a few prototype pieces. They looked primitive, freeform, unique, exactly what I had envisioned. I was so excited I had to watch TV for an hour to get tired enough to go to sleep - something that hasn’t often happened since I became a mother!

Who would have thought a half hour of brainstorming about my business would inspire the best new design idea I’ve had in ages?

This is exactly why I have a hard time answering when people ask where my inspiration comes from. I really never know where the next idea will come from. But I’m thinking I should do some more business planning sessions if it leads to ideas I can be so excited about!

Stay tuned for photos from the new series! They aren’t done yet, but a few are close…