Should I...Or Shouldn't I?

I should, and I did. I made a decision about the next school year. I am so relieved that I finally made a decision about teaching next year. I have been debating for a long time about reducing the time at school, and I finally requested it. Hopefully it will work out the way that I want it to, and it will be a smooth transition. Basically I will teach 8 cycle days out of 10, instead of 10 out of 10. It sort of works out to 4 days of the week, but every time there is a holiday or a teacher work day, the cycle days shift, so my days off would not always be on the same day of the week. I am extremely happy and at peace that I don’t have to decide what I want to do anymore. If it works out, I’ll have one more day a week to create and work on my art business. I’m just so exhausted sometimes after teaching that I don’t have enough left in me to do anything fun or creative.
Anyone else out there shifting from full time to part time, or quitting completely to do their art? That’s my big dream… someday.
The etsy shop has been going swimmingly this month. It’s only the 12th, and I’ve already had 11 sales! I am going to keep working on improvements too. I found a blog by littleputbooks (check the links to the right), and this wonderful etsy seller has put a lot of selling tips and advice into a really nice format. I’m definitely going to keep it in my weekly blog-visit rotation. There are so many talented people on etsy~ it’s been almost a year since I have been exploring that site, and 4 months as a seller, and I am still amazed by the cool people I find there. It makes me sooooo happy. I just wish we all lived in the same city, and we could all have a cup of tea and be creative together. Oh well, at least we have the internet.
That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to get a world map and put a little red pin into every spot where I’ve shipped work to, kind of as a visual reminder that people all across the globe appreciate me and like my work. It was Kev’s idea and I love it. Now I just need to find a good map, and enough wall space to hang it in our tiny house. Here are a couple of pics of my ‘corner studio’ in our living room, right by the front door of our house.


Kev’s workspace is right behind mine, facing the other wall~ that’s where he does all of his ‘stamp collecting’. It’s so cute to see him with his magnifying glass studying the miniscule details of antique postage. “They are little masterpieces” he says. I’m glad I married somebody who understands and appreciates the visual wonders in the world.
Well, off to work now, dreaming of summer…35 days of school left, and counting!