The Business of Creativity...

That sounds like one of those oxymorons... like Jumbo Shrimp. Creative types would usually just love more time to spend lost in the actual creating that in all the other mess that goes with trying to do this for a living.

Since I actually had the van today, my day was all about the other stuff.

I got a sample of the author’s first book to the printing company I deal with for my leaflets so that they could identify what weight cover stock and inner paper had been used the last time. I also left them with all the information that they need to quote on printing this book once the files are done to compare that to the company in Ontario.

I unpacked a box that arrived home safely after a trunk show. I dropped off some of the models from Nashville that were in that box at our local shop along with an order, then promptly turned around and spent that on stuff I need for new designs being released in Charlotte in August.

I sorted through e-mail and tried to save at least 150+ messages to the proper categories on Zip disk, paid some bills and filed away the last few pieces of business mail to come in.

I picked up two pads of drawing paper that I will need for this book project on sale at a local craft store.

I phoned Debbie at the CSNF because an e-mail that got buried last Friday asked about some class proposals that had been misplaced, but they found them.

I called another client who is late paying an invoice to see if anything had been mailed yet and got an answering machine to leave yet another message on.

I called Canada Post to check on a box that is still missing in transit.

I finally heard back from the local paper about billing for a set of stories I wrote on a RUSH basis right before the April show in Toronto. Since the stories ran in the main body of the paper instead of a separate section with advertising, the rate is half what it normally is for the same amount of words and caliber of writing. Since the work is already done, I suppose any money is better than no money, but I had the pleasure of letting them know that I would be quite busy with this children’s book over the summer.

All of this when I would rather just be at a table drawing while good tunes played in the background.

The reality of choosing to earn your income from a creative source means that you have to learn to do both. Very few of us ever grow to the point where we can have the manager, the accountant, the personal assistant and all of those other resources at our beck and call. I’m not even sure if I’d want to. I just want my desk to stop disappearing under new paperwork every time I get it cleared off. I want to keep striving for that balance between doing the creative work and finding the time to look after all the other stuff that so needs to be done.

Tomorrow is all about updating the website and then drawing because I got this other stuff out of the way today... and I can’t wait!!!