The case of "Should's" is holding you back

✨ The Fun Stuff

I just put these up today and as my most loyal supporters, you get the first look!

I’m doing a very limited run on the Eevee stickers so get them while you can. This is my very first completed series so I get real antsy with jumping into an investment to buy all of these designs in bulk at once. But if they’re a hit then I’ll get to restock them 🎉

My Grand Debut

In August, I participated in ColossalCon Austin’s craft fair! (🙊 ADHD Side Note: During some downtime, I definitely typed up a draft for my next newsletter but then Time happened and I’m now giving you this update.)

I caught wind of this fair literally as my plane landed and my friend who’s a con volunteer told me this event would be perfect for me to start selling at. I had a whopping FOUR days to get my ish together. Luckily, my partnership with Uproar.Art usually supplies me with extra inventory or test products every time I place an order. So I had a comfortable amount of items to sell.

It was during the time crunch that I realized why I always felt like I “worked better under pressure.” These situations usually put me in a do-or-die mentality which makes all the self-doubt and second-guessing s i l e n t 🔇

The Spiral of Should’s

When I’m not under some form of pressure, I’m typically visited by the ghosts of Christmas “should’s.”

It’s a cycle of “I should be farther along,” “I should create more products,” “I should post more on social media,” “I should have more polished displays” up until I beat myself into exhaustion and I simply don’t have the energy to accomplish anything else.

The “should’s” lock us in a mentality to only look at the goals we want to hit while completely discounting what we’ve already accomplished. It also provides ZERO grace for all that we still have to learn. We only get to be new at something once. The joy is in the process of learning and holding yourself to a standard you’re not prepared for isn’t helping.

Returning to My "Why”

At ColossalCon Austin, I heard countless people (I could probably count them if I really tried to remember though) mention, “It’s like looking at my childhood!” or “I remember all of these cartoons growing up!”

My nostalgic brand exists for those moments in a nutshell. Through all the stress of running my own business and trying to improve as an artist, the goal is to use my art as a way to connect people to their inner child. Something that momentarily takes them away from their everyday stress and reminds them of all the things that bring them joy.

My desperation and impatience stem from my wanting to liberate myself from the 9-to-5 grind culture in fear of burning myself out again. It was during those times that I also returned to basics and connected with my inner child. Those are the people that I want to help now. The people who work tirelessly and don’t have enough time to play or feel like themselves.

It’s crucial for me to remember that working myself to the bone to appear like a business person who has it all together isn’t the solution to capitalism. Kindness is. I have to remind myself that the cycle of kindness should start with showing it to myself before I can share it with everybody else.

So the next time you find yourself plagued by the case of “Should’s” try reminding yourself that you are exactly where you are meant to be. You don’t have to rush to become anybody else!