Well, I have done lost my mind and found it again. It is hard to believe that it is already June. Time flies while zoned into a wee bit of obsession. I let myself dream without limitations and thoroughly researched possibilities. Then I cranked the math and reeled myself back to reality, but can’t let it go.
Maybe it is a little wacked, but I am thinking “renew, re-use, recycle” all pretty much mean the same thing: take something old and make something new out of it. It may never look or work or be the exact same way it used to be. It might not have the same function anymore. It has been re-purposed as something else. I want to re-able me.
That’s my wacked idea. I was DIS-abled. I am never going to be the “able” me that I used to be, so I need RE-abled along the lines of renew, re-use, recycle. I am my own art project.
After an honest assessment of what I can and cannot do, not just what I want to do or dream of doing, I wrote a business plan that includes the following criteria:
- It must be something I can do, even with my limitations.
- It must involve art, or go well with my art.
- It must not require more than $5,000 initial investment.
- It must have a profit potential of at least $2,000 a month.
I am not going to go into details… for one reason, I would be writing this post well into August. Another reason is that I do not have five grand to invest, so it still feels too much like a dream.
My mind keeps twirling ways to raise the money without going into debt. I am doing things like calling up the cable company and saying, “I want to play slash my bill” (eliminating WIFI and cable TV dropped it from $106 to $22.41 a month) and looking at other ways to cut my cost of living.
Hey… I could become a “minimalist” and sell off most my stuff.
I keep hoping people will buy my art – it is still on display at the Mocha House in Boardman and I have two pieces going into the YWCA show later this month. People say they like it and they sure do want it if I am giving it away, but no one wants to pay $35 for a nicely matted and framed 5×7 drawing. No one has texted or called to even ask if I’d take less. That’s why my business plan needed something else going on besides art.
By the way (if you happened to notice), I replaced the drawing used as my gravatar image with a “selfie” photo that I had cropped square and flipped to black and white. Here is the uncropped color original if you are curious as to what I look like. I was brave enough to throw it on Facebook, where I rarely post any “people photos” so oh well… why not.
It’s not the best photo – no makeup, ratty old shirt, bad lighting, and hair not done to hide how thin it is getting on top. Ye gads, it could be scary old lady hair with long wispy stands by the time I am 80 if I grew it long again. I might do that, just for grins. Yes, the mental image of myself at 80 makes me laugh. People take things that don’t really matter way too seriously.
Barnbees 
So what are you actually saying here Nancy? You need, want to create an income source? You need, want this to be from or related to your art? (I’m ignoring the whole selfie image thing)…How desperate are you? Do you have a regular job? If not and if you are looking to your art for income maybe you should register as a fine art business. If I ever knew I’ve forgotten where you live. If in USA I don’t know the tax incentives for self employed artists. In Canada this can be a saving grace. I have a friend who sits for hours in a local park with her art work for sale. $35 for a 5 x 7 original art is a steal, never under price your creativity. Perhaps you might teach art privately…keep asking and thinking of ideas…wish i could help more…
Yes, I want to create a good source of income as my current income (disability insurance benefits) is ye a third of my wages at my last job. I am not desperate. It is enough to live on, wee tight at times, cannot shop as freely as I want to, etc. I’m in the USA. Employment options with my limitations are slim to none, there are days when I am not mobile enough to leave my apt and sometimes my legs won’t let me sleep so my schedule is erratic. I may not be employable to others, but I could hire myself and wiggle around my issues, that is what I am thinking. 🙂
I have a good business plan, ideas for products to sell online (in addition to art and handmade things) and it is something I can do at odd hours at home, even on days when pain or mobility are issues. The business must generate a good income or I will go down… there is a window that I have to leap over. As long as income from other sources is low (under $770 doesn’t count as a month in a “ticket to work” program that I have been looking into), I am still entitled to benefits. But when income tops $1070 a month, they consider that is enough to live on even though it is less money than I get now. That is why a business would need to profit at least 2,000. I’m highly allergic to poverty.
I wish we had tax incentives for self employed artists! Here everything is complicated, like a window that financially hurts people in an incentive program designed to help disabled persons overcome employability issues. At $1070 a month, some people could be looking for a handicap accessible cardboard box as a place to call home, depending on location.
Finding bits of clarity, however large or small, always helps to shift energies and allow us to move forward. Sounds like you took a big step. I love the selfie, by the way. That, in itself, is brave and courageous. And now, I can put a face to the name.
Oh, so true… I can feel a shift in energy even though it may take a year or two to put the plan into action. Thank you for your kind words!