If you are an artisan or artist, then maybe you’ve recieved those looks or comments from family and friends. The kind that imply you don’t actually do any work or that your business isn’t a real job. Yet you feel you work harder than most, make less money and don’t really ever clock out.  There may also be looks because you are on your phone a lot and yet that’s also you at work. In this article, I’d like to address this false perception and point out how much goes into this “non-job”.

I find it really disheartening when people, more often friends and family, assume I just lounge around at home all day watching Netflix and maybe work on sewing a bag. That my time is flexible and that I’m not busy. Unless magical fairies are the ones making the bags, I’m not sure where they assume I’m not busy.  I have to motivate myself everyday to work. I do create my own schedule but I can’t just constantly be taking breaks. I don’t get an hourly wage or lunch break and if I don’t create something that will sell, I don’t get paid. I think people believe that a “real” job is something you go to, spend 8 hours there and then go home. I don’t get time off. In fact, I’m working right now!

I work when I have enough light to see what I’m sewing and the rest of the time is spent managing social media, planning new bags and marketing my business. I do this everyday. Perhaps I make it look easy but it takes a lot of creative energy to keep people interested in what I do on top of navigating algorithms designed to put my small business on everyone’s back burner.

I work alone. I don’t have a team. I sew. I advertise. I create content. I sell. I update. I photograph. I build. I wear all the hats.

Please do not assume that I don’t work. This is not my hobby. I enjoy some of what I do just like anyone else with a job. It’s a job. I work at it. Yes, I’m passionate but I’m mostly perseverant.

-Kasey