After all the excitement/frustration (mailing list/mail out/computer stuff) of last week I felt a bit tired by Sunday. The sale went well and thanks to everyone who popped in and picked up a satchel or three! Then reality crashed in and I've had a tiny private pre-Xmas meltdown. I had spent a lot of time over the last few months hunting out a pile of fabulous things for Xmas stock but for one reason or another not all of them have come to fruition (insert sad emoticon here) and I have been feeling a bit low because of that. I also had an attack of 'retailer's envy' or perhaps it 'maker's regret', seeing the bright and on-trend things that were starting to appear on blogs/facebook/instagram and knowing that whilst I have no desire to create work like that I can still feel a jolt of envy. I am human after all. I have to admit it isn't my style and I should just focus on the work that makes me happiest, deep down I am an archeologist of skill and a tinkerer of nostalgia.
So after feeling dreadfully stressed and worked up about Shop Stuff and Money Stuff and Getting Stuff Done I suddenly decided this afternoon that I should just do what I could do and stop fretting. Once I relaxed things just seemed to relax too. Stressing one's self out results in nothing except a headache and feeling of tightening angst. We are going to have some lovely stuff for Xmas, it's just not quite here yet, we will just keep our fingers crossed it arrives in time. The Cottage is known for producing product slow and steady so that should be how I continue on, we aren't 'fashion driven' around here!
Perhaps I will produce some patchwork tops and Dell has been telling me to get cracking on the Summer tops and dresses. We need peg bags and oven mitts and suddenly the Welsh Cushion Mountain has shrunk so there is lots for me to do. The Satchel Black Hole will resolve itself and Papua New Guinea will get a better internet service. Stock will arrive and I will work out a strange Xmas window display. Then come Xmas Day I will sleep in and relax.
Some days I read your blog and feel as though you are reading my mind.
ReplyDeleteI get exactly the same way around this time of year.
In fact, before heading to check if you'd blogged today, I was sitting here stressing about being "inadequate" and not "on-trend".
This despite the fact that I've never ever wanted to be in fashion or have a shop that sold "in" things! It's so difficult some days to keep my head down and keep focussed on what I'm doing and ignore what "The Jones's" are up to though!
Thanks for the accidental pep talk Pen!
I feel better and hope you do too!
PS. I sooooo cannot wait to sleep in on Xmas morning!