I am currently in a thrilling position of biting off more than I can chew. Once again, a miracle must take place, and sadly, I do not walk on water. Jesus must take the wheel here. And his boy Buddha, and their pals Shiva and Moses.
The miracle is that I must simultaneously pack all of my store orders and ship out by Monday, dance a jig at the venerable American Craft Council show in St. Paul, pack up a kit for a new rep, all tagged and happy, and to top off, put together a killer collection of baubles for the Metropolitan Opera. I am barely out of bed from the flu.
People often ask me how I manage a household, travel to far flung US cities, do upscale craft/art shows, fill orders, pay bills, and keep sane. The secret is the bumblebee. Yes, the buzzing, bustling busy creature pollinating, making honey, tending to larvae variety. We have a few things in common. Bumblebees dance and hum or sing to communicate to the others in the hive. When I do a show, I am out in front buzzing to customers, flashing baubles, and giving a "show" of my wares. My message can be construed as ideas or fantasies. Basically, better your life by wearing my work! Bee glamorous! Bee noticed! When i was in my booth in Atlanta, a very humdrum gal bought a few pieces. I wondered why she chose not to wear dentures that day, but no matter, I did my dance and sang my song, and off she flew, baubles in hand.
Bees are very industrious. They do not have tech. They do have triage instincts. Do what is important and vital first. Ok, so the hive might be messy, but the flowers are happy. That is your job so do it without complaint. A little nectar of the gods never hurt, but only after work when the larvae are asleep.
The most important thing is one must simply "bumble." I am not great at tech, but i bumble through. I do not have the time nor energy to do a ton of work and plow through orders like i used to. So i bumble through, and leave time over the weekends or evenings to get a head start in the studio. The store will reopen eventually, when i finish bumbling through my ACC show. And while bumbling through life, I will always remember to sing a little song and dance a little dance.