If you drive enough bumpy roads (and that's almost the definition of a road in New England), eventually your car needs a wheel alignment. Even under normal wear and tear, sometimes the wheels get "out of true" and have to be adjusted.
I looked up "wheel alignment" on a whim a few minutes ago, because you know how much I love analogies, and this one is good.
Signs you need an alignment are uneven wear on tires, noticing your car is pulling to one side or another, and feeling your car is fighting you when you try to maintain a straight course.
Yesterday I listened to a friend pour her heart out about her professional goals.
As my friend talked, it was clear that the things she was doing were not going to get what she wanted.
Within minutes she realized the problem: Something had gotten "out of true" in her life, and her efforts needed to be realigned with her goals.
She had inadvertently moved away from the source of her power and motivation. And she was mired down with the details of a project without understanding where that project fit into the overall scheme of things.
Afterwards, we were all amazed how the answers were in her heart the whole time. All it took was listening with all OUR hearts for her to pull the answers out.
As always, watching someone else go through this process got my own thoughts running.
Do I need a realignment, too?
I think we get the same symptoms when our efforts are not aligned with our goals.
When things get too hard, and the "wear" is uneven, when you feel like you're constantly being pulled off course, maybe it's time to ponder whether what you're doing is really going to get you what you want.
My road is feeling bumpier and my "vehicle" is getting harder to turn. My spirit sometimes feels that "uneven wear".
I don't mind the occasional set-back. I know it takes work and commitment to achieve what I want. And I know it won't always be easy.
But sometimes I feel like my efforts are fighting against each other. The energy I need to move forward is being diverted into these "misalignments."
I realized one mistake I've been making was in trying to market all three of my lines--my wall hangings, my sculptures and my jewelry--through the same venues.
I thought about my latest decision to change venues within the Buyers Market of American Craft itself.
For years, I had been doing "okay" in the Mixed Media section when I was near the Jewelry section--I could sell enough jewelry and sculptures (but rarely wall hangings) to take the next steps.
This year I took a leap of faith and took a spot nearer the "Inspired Interiors" section, which was a better fit for my wall hangings. But it took away almost all the focus from my jewelry and sculptures.
Unfortunately, I still didn't sell any wall hangings, AND my jewelry and sculpture sales faltered.
It was a good wake-up call for me. Obviously, one issue is my work is too different from other work being offered at that show.
But it's made me confused and anxious about the upcoming American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE) in Las Vegas in a few months.
Should I keep the same emphasis on my fiber work? Or will the audience at this new show be too similar to the one at BMAC?
Should I give up the fiber work for now and focus on what brings in cash flow so I can keep going? Or should I REALLY step off the edge of the cliff and focus only on the fiber work??
None of these feel right.
Last night I realized I DO have three lines. To me, they are interconnected and part of the same vision.
But maybe that's working against me at this kind of show.
Maybe I will never find a single wholesale venue that successfully markets all three of them at the same time. At least, not for now. I obviously need a separate (probably retail) strategy for the fiber work.
I also realized that I love ALL THREE.
AND not only are these three lines important to me, so is my writing.
At this next show, I will display ENOUGH of the wall hangings to show where my work is coming from. And I will HIGHLIGHT the jewelry and sculptures, which hopefully will be more accessible to wholesale buyers.
Somehow, this mental alignment is just enough to make me feel the road ahead will be much more enjoyable.
And to take this metaphor one mile further (if you can stand it), I realize, too, this isn't about a quick trip to the grocery store to grab a gallon of milk nor even snagging a week's worth of groceries.
No, this particular journey is the ultimate road trip.
It's not about getting there. It's about the ride along the way.
