I do like it most of the time. Most of the time I am in my pajamas well into the day (like right now). But there are times when I don't get done what I want to and I feel bad. I really loved reading Elena Adams' blog on working from home: http://www.elena-adams.com/. If you go to the April 20, 27 and May 3rd archives she writes a really helpful three part piece on how to work from home without going crazy. Some excellent tips as well as some clarification as to what it is like to work at home.
In honor of Elena's blog, I like to make my list of the things I love about making jewelry from home and the things that are, lets say, less good about working from home.
Good:
1. Work whenever I want to, if I want to make it a 2 hour day or a 14 hour day, it's all up to me.
Less Good:
1. When it needs to be a 14 hour day and I feel like making it a 2 hour day it's really hard to motivate myself.
Bright Side:
1. When I'm on a roll I can work 14 hours and it doesn't feel like 14 hours at all. This is more the rule than the exception and because of that I know that I am doing the right work.
Great:
2. I have loved making jewelry since I was 18 an spend some days as "design days" where all I do all day is make one piece after the other and watch movies or listen to music. This is easily the very BEST part of what I do.
Less Great:
2. Once I have made all of these pieces I have to price them (time consuming), name them (running out of clever things to call them), create price tags for them (really time consuming) and if they are going on my website (as opposed to one of my stores) I have to scan them, format the pictures, and upload all of the information on the website. Some of this is fun, but it is all time consuming.
Bright side:
2. I can control my prices and what I call the pieces. I have a lot of personal jokes and homages in the names of my pieces. Some are named after relatives, some are based on the movie I was watching while I made it and some are just what the piece makes me think about. As for the prices, if I feel that one came out to high, I totally have the power to lower it. And I often do. I am told that I don't price my stuff high enough, that may be true, but I like it to be available to as many people as possible.
Good:
3. I am also a bookkeeper, so I do my own books and don't have to pay or wait for someone else to take care of it.
Less Good:
3. It is always easier to motivate yourself to get someone else's books done, harder when they are your own.
Bright Side:
3. Last minute entries before tax time are a snap.
Good:
4. I get to buy my own materials which is soooooooooooooooo much fun! I love shopping for beads, etc. Whether it's online or at a gem show I am IN LOVE with gemstones (is that the right word? It implies rubies and sapphires and although I love rubies and sapphires, I mean all natural stones like different kinds of jasper, agate, quartz, etc.)
Less Good:
4. I spend too much. It is so much easier to buy stones than it is to sell necklaces.
Bright Side:
4. I have plenty of materials to inspire me whenever I want to work.
Good:
5. All of the money I make is mine to allocate as I see fit.
Less Good:
5. I can't always live on how much money I allocate to me as payment for my work.
Bright Side:
5. I have other work that does so that I can keep making jewelry for as long as I want, and I will.
A lot of times when I am done with a piece I am really hesitant to sell it because I like it so much. That was the story on this one.
