business

Running a small business while having an art practice: fun or folly?

Running a small business while having an art practice: fun or folly?

I started this new phase of my life which I like to call Full Time Tapestry Person almost four years ago now. Before that I was mostly Part Time Tapestry Artist and Whatever I do to Pay the Bills Person.

Of course once I quit that job with the benefit of a paycheck every two weeks and health insurance*, I had to figure out how to pay all the bills with income from something related to tapestry. Because no matter how crazy-pants it sounds, I was determined to focus all my time on tapestry.

Fortunately for me, I love teaching. Therapists, at least the good ones, are natural teachers. And before I became an occupational therapist, I got an undergraduate degree in music focusing on piano pedagogy. I wrote a preschool piano method as my undergraduate thesis and ran my own piano studio to help pay for graduate school. I suppose that was my first business.

I realized I loved teaching and so it was fairly obvious that I could try to support myself by teaching tapestry. After all, many sorts of fiber people make a living by teaching their craft. Workshops, conferences, private students: they all help keep the lights on.

The thing is, I'm an introvert.

Seth Godin and the accountant

Seth Godin and the accountant

I got up today after not quite enough sleep and went to an appointment with an accountant at the Small Business Development Center downtown. I run a small business. I hear businesses like mine referred to as "micro-businesses" frequently. It is just me doing something I love and trying to meet expenses while still impacting the world positively.

I don't know exactly what made me schedule that appointment at the SBDC, but I remember the way I was feeling. One day last week I had had enough.