So this year has been a really strange one for my firm. Last year we had a record year in terms of profit and scope of projects. It was a really busy and exciting year and I looked forward to working with my team in 2015, full steam ahead. We wrapped up a large project in January and then......poof! We wrote several proposals for large projects, every one of which the potential clients went with other firms. Then we started getting less and less calls. As someone who trades in selling her artistic talent, this was rather devastating. I began to wonder; "has my work become passe? Is the service I provide to my clients not good enough? Am I not really that good of a designer?" Needless to say, my confidence in myself was faltering. After all, my work is really a reflection of who I am; a creative being.
I took some time to reflect on my past projects, the feedback I had from past clients and worked hard to see the flaws. I couldn't. I felt really proud of all of my projects and how well I had listened to and taken care of each and every client. So, I made a big girl decision and decided to enjoy the "time off" I was being forced to take. I did projects around the house and yard, spent time working in my son's classroom as the class parent, went out with friends, took my son on fun adventures, and worried a bit about income too. But mostly, I TRUSTED my talent and my hard work that has gone into building a business that I know is solid. Guess what, as soon as I made peace with it; the phone started ringing.
But not to worry, I will always find a way to obsess about something: now I have TOO MUCH work and am trying to find that work/life balance.
At the end of the day, I have learned that staying flexible and positive, taking the ebbs and flows for what they are and being able to play when you are sent time, work when you are sent jobs and live a full life always, is a lesson I will try to keep front and center.
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