Puckish Post received this in March's envelope, but I really loved writing it and wanted it to live on the site as a little business birthday card to myself to mark the occasion.
Dear friend,
I started Rather Puckish officially eight years ago, but as I look back I see now I had been dreaming about building my own little business for years. I had a very specific vision of the type of company I wanted. It has always been about being a cozy, quirky, incredibly specific but if-you-get-it-it-gets-you kind of place open and welcoming to all.
I started drawing regularly around 2014 as a creative outlet when my toddlers were napping. I would draw things I wish I could find for their walls-- illustrations and ideas specific to them that made us all smile. I liked the bite-sized nature of a single drawing. I realize now I got to play and perform just for them for years before I ever decided to share my work online.
So, in honor of eight years of puckishness, here are eight things I have learned over the years that I think can apply to more than just running a business:
It’s better to just start something messy and show your work as you go than wait for it to be ”ready.” It gets easier the more you do it and if you can push through the first few wanting-to-quit bits, you’re winning already.
Mistakes will happen but worrying about them is often much worse than when a mistake is actually made (and what it takes to fix it).
The truer you are to yourself the better. The pieces I created (illustrations, posts, products) I was convinced were too oddly specific or too silly for public consumption have often become wild favorites (can you guess which ones?).
Finding joy in the quiet continuing phases of a thing (in my case, running and growing a business) is how you know you’ve found something you love. It’s more than just the sum of its big wins and leaps of progress. Sometimes the work is frustrating (designing and formatting a catalog) and tedious (packaging 400 cards in a sitting) but even at those times, I love some part of what I’m doing.
Storage is always going to be an issue if you make things whether they are just for you or to sell to other people. Find a system that works and be ruthless.
The practical side of things (in my case business admin) will take over at some point. Fight for your creative/fun time and keep it protected at all costs.
It’s ok to change your mind. The Grand Idea you thought was perfectly polished might still need tweaking even after you publish it. That’s not failing, that’s growing as you go and being willing to learn from what’s in front of you (sooo much easier said than done).
If you can find a way to weave the things you loved as a child into what you do as an adult that is one giant, epic win.
This month’s envelope contains some of where I started, some of how far I’ve come, and some of where I’m going. It is such a delight every month to get to share these letter-packages with you, and I hope they brighten your mailbox as much as they do my worktable. Thank you, as always, for being here. It wouldn’t be the same without you.
Hugs from my fort to yours,
Julia