Atiliay noun, a play off the French word “atelier”; a workshop/studio, esp of an artist or designer; my creative space

Notes plural noun, a brief record of facts, topics, thoughts written down as an aid to memory; a short informal letter

 

I have to admit it's hard and scary to pivot sometimes and to let things go. There is a familiarity and a sense of security (even if it's false) with what we have come to know.

 

This is coming up for me with the slower-than-I-thought process of letting go of offering physical cards.

 

I mentioned the false sense of security because I think for many years, seeing orders come through and having to physically pack and ship them made it feel like I was making progress, that I was working on my business, and that I was making money. But when I really looked at it, it takes a lot more time than I thought it would to pack orders, it's stressful dealing with customers about shipping when it's out of your hands, and the profit margin is so slim on cards. 

 

But even knowing these facts, it's hard to let go! It's been a slow transition because I have stock that I'd still like to offer but I am no longer making new designs (which I miss sometimes!) and am also phasing out the ones that I don't already have inventory of. (It just takes a long time to make all those updates on the site & Etsy 😅)

 

It's also a little sad because cards is how all of this started! If you're new here I made hand stamped cards in 2013 to raise funds for a preschool I had begun sponsoring. This fundraiser gave me the idea to make more cards and pair them with different non-profits. The card designs eventually evolved from hand carved stamps to adding some embroidery to brush lettering.

 

One thing I'm really proud of is that I still sponsor that same pre-school with proceeds from card / product sales! With phasing out cards it has gotten me thinking about what to replace it with. To be honest there have already been several months throughout the years where card sale donations don't add up to be enough and I make up for the rest. So I know there is room for improvement and maybe letting this go is the process that's needed to help me come up with something different that can be more reliable and consistent!

That epiphany came to me while I was walking Valentine (when many of my ideas & aha moments happen :)) and I've been brainstorming what I could potentially offer each month as a 100% donation based item. A few ideas that have stuck (but still need to be flushed out):

Part of me has felt like I'm losing touch with the give back aspect and this also helps me tune back in with a more hands on approach. I look at the time I would spend creating / preparing / teaching as volunteering. Maybe it's not a great business move to donate 100% of proceeds but I feel like I can find a fair balance with how much time I put into it.

 

I have always loved the idea of giving back and creating easy ways for others to join me and how if all of us pitched in a little, we can make a difference. Some proof of that is since that first card fundraiser (thank you to those of you who supported it!! :)) over 275,000 meals have been provided to The Ebongalethu Educare Center in Motherwell, South Africa! 

 

 

You are my core group of supporters and the majority of the things I make are for you! So I would love to hear what you think :)

 

The cards I am currently offering include a selection of mom's day cards for both pet parents & grandparents, human moms and grandmas, as well as one for sending love. I wanted to drop in with a friendly reminder of some deadlines if you would like your order by Mother's Day here in the US:

 

May 1st for Standard Shipping

May 3rd for USPS Priority Mail

 

I always recommend ordering earlier than later to make it less stressful and to avoid any delays USPS may have. (But if you miss the deadlines or need a card last minute and have a printer, I also have PDF cards available here!)

If you're in the process of letting go, you are definitely not alone if it's feeling hard or unclear. I hope the perspective that it might be there to make some space for the new helps you a little bit.

 

Take good care, let me know if you have thoughts on the donation items, and talk to you soon!

PS: A few things that have brought me joy recently: Valentine making friends with 7 month old pom Zoey and these lovely postcards I received--thank you Mitzi & Devon! Top is of the painting Spring by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Mitzi's favorite from the Getty, and bottom is Devon's handmade clear postcard (that she made with her niece :))!

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