When a Door Closes...

Almost seven years ago I exited corporate America. It was a planned exit that was a result of life circumstances at the time. Daniel had started a new job with TVA based in rural Alabama, we had finally sold our house in North Carolina, and it was time for me to join him.

We lived in a camper for three months in Chattanooga before purchasing a house in Hollywood, AL and making the decision to start our family. During that time period I was able to grow my freelance graphic design business to a manageable size that allowed me to ease into my new role as mother while also keeping my foot in the working world. After nearly a decade of working full time, it was the perfect transition.

For six+ years I juggled motherhood and clients that were located in several states. It felt good to still be a part of something I knew so well and I was fortunate to have excellent clients. When we added a second child to our family, my freelance work was still there, though the juggling part became a little harder. But I still did it and it still felt like the right fit.

At the start of 2017, I realized something had changed. My consistent workload from my clients didn't feel as consistent. When I looked back at my records, I realized that there had been a shift, a definite slowing down.

About a month ago, I reached out to my regulars and realized that they had all begun to use in-house employees in lieu of me. I understand the need to have in-house designers (in my past I have been that person), it just came as a bit of a shock since all of my clients, after years of utilizing my services, all seemed to change direction at once.

While leaving corporate America was my own personal choice, having my freelance clients, seemingly simultaneously, leave me stung.

The good news is that I am finding a groove with just being in the mother role, as opposed to juggling working as well. When a door shuts like this, it feels like God is saying that it is maybe time to focus on something else. I am planning on homeschooling Jack this fall, so maybe my purpose for now is to focus on that.

I miss my freelance work. Magazines, annual reports, textbooks, any kind of print design and brand identity is my strong suit, and I miss using my skills to come up with the best solutions for my clients. I guess I will work to put those skills and energy into my kids, at least for now.

Freelance Mama

On occasion I talk about freelancing and even use the hashtag freelance mama on Instagram, but I recently realized that a) not everyone knows what that means, and b) sometimes my parents are curious about my work. So I have decided to use this little space to periodically update about projects I am working on.

In the graphic design world (especially if you freelance part time) it is really feast or famine. Meaning I am either working crazy hours (while juggling my mommy responsibilities), or I am in a lull and enjoying the calm before the next storm.

I have been really bad about updating my portfolio in recent years, so maybe this will become an extension of that. At the very least, I will be able to look back and see what I was doing at this phase of my life.

Right now I am in a slower phase (which is a blessing since Daniel has been working nights for the last 14 days). Here is a glimpse of some of the projects I have been working on. 

This is a textbook I am working on for Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC. It is the biggest project I have taken on to date. A big part of this project, besides designing the 300+pages, is keeping everyone on track so that I get content in a timely manner. Managing the proofing process is also lots of fun. We are about halfway through this year-long project right now. May is the target print date.

This is an Annual Report I am in the process of wrapping up for The Crossnore School in Crossnore, NC. The Crossnore School is non-profit residential foster care home for children in crisis. This is the third year I have created their Annual Report. 

An example from a recent ad campaign for The Crossnore School. Once concepts are approved, the ads are sent to various publications throughout the region and run for several months before we move on to the next campaign.

Ad created for Ascend Federal Credit Union, located in Tullahoma, TN. Ascend is a client that I take on overflow work for throughout the year.

 

Logo designed for the blog Stroll Through the South, located in Huntsville, AL.

As you can see, right now my projects vary from very corporate to smaller, local businesses. Last month I also wrapped up a catalog for a media company located in Chattanooga, TN as well as sold a personal design for a sign project. In the freelance world, you never know what you will have on your plate.

Thursday Things (Random, April 2012)

1. It crossed my mind that working mom's must live crazy, busy lives.* Then it dawned on me... most working moms use daycare or babysitters to supplement the care of their children. No wonder I have been so exhausted lately. 30+hr work {at home} work week's plus simultaneously taking care of a 5-month-old is tough. I am so glad that this is not my normal. If it was, I would definitely have to look into child care.

*I totally respect moms that are making the whole working thing work.

2. I was finally able to catch my breath this week. That means I actually cooked meals and went for a run. It helps that the little sickness I picked up last week has finally passed.

Grilled Sesame Ginger Salmon with Sauteed Asparagus, Rice and a Strawberry Spinach Salad

3. On my run yesterday, a family of geese hissed at me. The parents didn't want me near their little goslings. I shouted and clapped my hands back at them. The thought of geese attacking me or worse, attacking the stroller with Jack in it, did not give me warm, fuzzy feelings.

4. Jack has been sleeping through the night this week. Then last nigh he woke up at 2am, starving. After a week of uninterrupted sleep, it was tough... I hope he doesn't do that again.

5. Since Jack is sleeping through the night, we are on the hunt for good cloth diapers that won't leak when left unchanged for 8-12 hours. If you use CD, feel free to weigh in with your personal faves.

the good and the bad

This week has been an insanely busy week. It seems that all I have been doing is working. Which at some point should translate into getting paid. It is wonderful to be able to roll out of bed and start working and to stop when I want. The problem is that I have not seemed to figure out how to stop. And then there is the pesky business of having a cell phone.

For instance, I was already to go work out at the Y. I had all of my stuff with me but as I backed out of the driveway I realized that I didn't have my cell phone. So I ran back inside to grab the thing and tried leaving for a second time. I had not yet left my neighborhood when I received an urgent phone call for me to make a last minute change to a project that I had already sent off and considered closed. So I had to turn around, go home, make the change and miss my cycle class.

So the good is that I have freedom and can go work out during the day and the bad is that even with freedom there is still responsibility to get urgent projects done that may mess up your day!

Home Alone

I have to be honest and say that my first two days working from home were terrible. Granted I had plenty of things to do, but I just felt so lonely. When I decided to quit my "real" job I did not consider the social ramifications of no longer having friends sitting next to me.

This week I took stock of the situation and went to great efforts to make sure that I got out of the house and interacted with people. I managed to have lunch with someone different 3 out of 5 days this week. I also went to the Y every day to work out. So I definitely have not felt as lonely.

The best news is that 1) it looks like Ethos3 Communications could take off very soon which means I could start getting paid and 2) I have had a lot of really promising contacts that I have begun to do freelance work for. This includes 2 local real estate agents, a screen printing company in Rosebud (thanks Mark Adams), a publishing company in Nashville and most recently I have been contacted by a local community church to discuss some freelance work they need done. This is all extremely good because Daniel informed me that I had to earn $1K a month to keep us from going bankrupt (no pressure).