Being more upbeat!

So it's been over a week since I had a weekend off...
I feel better for it and I also have new ideas and a new mind set as to what I want to do and how I am going to work.  I've relaxed a bit, decided to try not to let anyone get to me, if there are emails in my inbox I will reply to them in my own sweet time, that drawing can wait a few extra minutes, I will drink that whole cup of tea whilst it is hot.
I've cut the crap basically!
I've also done a lot more of my own originals, I've always tried to fit them in as and when I could but now I am making a more specific effort that I will have 'me time' or a 'me day' not in the sense of a day off but a day off from other people's commissions. Don't get me wrong I have created some pretty cool things from other people's ideas and I have earned a good living so far from doing commissions and tress but it has stifled me as an artist in many ways.
I went from 3 years of glorious self expression (well within the confines of an assessment/marking criteria) in university, to working at River Island which I can tell you is not the most creative environment when you are dragging boxes around, putting security tags on items and serving customers, sometimes the most creative thing I did was rearrange the bags/jewellery/belts on display, to then discovering I could cut paper quite well but that doing my own work wasn't going to earn me what I needed and so commissions needed to be taken on in order to progress to it being how I earned a living. Now I have a bit of a reputation and following, people want to buy my prints of my originals, I have other products and putting my own designs on them is great so taking time to create new things is something I can do as I can do more things, but kind of work less for others and keep things exciting and fresh.
I can afford a little time off, so I had my trip to Manchester with the Trucker which was a whole glorious weekend off, I have had today off pretty much and I will also be taking tomorrow off to go shopping with my friends but then the order book reopens on Friday and I will be making a start on the June orders so it's all go but with a refreshed and relaxed but not too lax attitude to work. Not worrying too much if people cancel orders or don't reply to my enquiries as I know I can fill those spaces very easily :)

Making new things is so much fun!

So here is to working hard and playing hard and being a better, brighter Charlie all round!