It'll get easier, but I STILL won't like it.

I've tried to make the business side of things more fun.  I have carved out a little office for myself in a nook, complete with happy turquoise and white chair.  I've switched fully over to friendly Mac technology - laptop, iPhone - they correct for me, make all the scary tech-y stuff a little easier - they practically smile at me.  I have inspirational pics hung around my desk.  Even my pushpins are zippy.

Bull-pucky.  It's sucky.  I hate the business side.  It's like my mind goes blank.  Can't I just make little clay birds and pick out pretty coral glaze?  Nope.  I've just started this little endeavor of mine and there's so much to do!  There's an etsy shop to manage, commissions to get, sales tax to pay, craft shows to get into, a blog to write, tear sheets to create, photos to take.  And it's all new territory.

This year I'm in my first juried show: more new territory.  I've never had a booth before.  How much inventory do I need to make? How do I process credit cards easily and inexpensively? Will anyone buy anything? How am I going to feel when people pick up one of my candles and then widen their eyes at the price?  Or worse, turn their nose up at my work?  Aaaaccckkkk!!!!

I write this on the eve of meeting a CPA for the first time, and I'm sort of plotzing. You know those people who hand over a beat-up shoe box full of receipts to the H&R Block guy?  That would be me. But I want my ducks in a row before my holiday sales set in.

Okay.  I feel better now.  I know this is all necessary.  I know I'm supposed to go, as my husband says, "WITH the grain.  WITH the grain." Once I go through each one of these things, the next time around, they won't be new.  I won't be creating the wheel every time. I will have templates and QuickBooks and a library of good photos.  It will take me less time to do all the have-tos; I'll have more time to noodle.  (I do so love to noodle.)

My non-linear brain can think of all the ways to pay homage to things like pumpkin pie: like this adorable necklace from Emarie Creations etsy site.   Or the real deal, like this delicious looking thing...(look...it's even got STARS on it...)

It'll get easier.  But I still won't like it. :)