Yup, it’s that time of the year — time for some holiday cheer. And time for reflection and anticipation. For me, it’s also the one month mark.

It has been a month since I became a resident ceramic artist. Two months ago, I did not know this was even a possibility when I sent out an innocent email. But now that I’m back in a studio environment, I’m thoroughly enjoying this awesome opportunity — learning my way around the new space, getting elbow deep in mud, conjuring up different ways to play with glaze, losing track of time…

It has also been a month since we officially launched blue bean studio, and I have to say the experience so far has been simultaneously exhilarating and daunting. Not only did we open up shop on Etsy, we also participated in our very first art market. We made our first online and in-person sales, scrambled our way through setting up credit card payments, and discovered that while the costs may be great, the joy of sharing our work with others can be greater.

I use the pronoun “we” because my hubby has been the ultimate cheerleader and teammate by my side. (Warning: while I am usually not inclined to express personal sentiments publicly, it’s the holidays and I’m letting loose a bit. Ha.) I feel very blessed to have my hubby’s constant encouragement and unwavering confidence. He celebrates every little victory, empathizes with every small disappointment, and holds out a strong hand for every stumble on the road. His “just go for it!” attitude, while at times frustrating (especially for someone who likes to be prepared before taking a step — me), has even rubbed off a bit. He believes in me like nobody else does. End. Mush. Here. Moving along…

I am also fortunate to have family and friends who support me in their different ways. Very few people (no one, to be precise) knew what we were brewing up over the past few months. But once we let our family and friends peek into our project, they offered helpful feedback and moral support. It was amusing to see their reactions, ranging from “I had an inkling” to outright surprise, from cool curiosity to genuine excitement. I love that I can share this new journey with others because it is such a different path from what most would have expected.

All that to say, a month in and I’m feeling incredibly grateful. The novelty and newness of it all will inevitably wear off and the day-to-day mundane things will gradually pile up, but I hope that I will always keep in perspective how lucky I am to be able to pursue a passion. In the meantime, I’m inspired to create more fun stuff to share with you all : )

CATEGORY: Insider
POSTED by blue bean	December 18, 2013