Looking for HOME.

Home for me is that sense of belonging that isn't tied to a specific place.  It is the belonging one finds in intentional community with other people.

Since moving to Texas I have felt rather alone because I have not sought that community.  I think I felt that this transitional time in my life would be less permanent than it has become, and why put down roots if I'm just going to painfully pull them up again?  But I wonder, if I begin to believe that moving here was more than just having a reliable place to stay, that maybe there was some other purpose in it, if I choose to let this become home, what sorts of gifts I may find hiding?

I long for intentional community, but I also believe that I suck at it.  It's hard for me to truly let people into my life and takes a lot of energy to truly invest myself in theirs as well.

I remember parts of college with fondness -- you know, if you wanted to hang out with people there was always someone to be found.

I loved roommate dates and weekly lunch dates with friends - sometimes old roommates, classmates, sometimes other MKs.  (Let's be honest, rarely other MKs.  I'm not sure why, but I didn't invest as much time with these people who I am supposed to have a lot in common with as I sort of wish I had.)

I spent my first 2.5 years living here spending my best hours working retail and the rest of the time recovering from work just to go back the next day.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  There was some fulfillment in that -- I love helping people and retail allowed me to do that -- but, in the end, the exhaustion outweighed the reward and I find myself still in Texas after 3 years with few friends - fewer who actually live in my part of the city - and hardly any community to speak of.  I know it is there if I actively look for it.  Future community of awesome people, home, will you look for me, too?

Forever at a crossroads

That's where I'm at.

Books & Clay is having a SALE!

Tonight I was looking at my Etsy shop and thinking about how some of my listings were going to expire soon, so I decided it was the perfect time for a SALE! From now until May 12, 2015 - honestly a couple items will still be on sale until May 13, but why risk missing out on this fabulous deal by waiting until the last minute only to realize that what you really wanted was either purchased or did have an end date of May 12 - select items in my shop will be on sale for 40% off! This discount has nothing to do with the quality of the items or with how much I like them, though I must say for a couple of them it really pained me to do this. The discount was big enough that it seemed like it would be incentive without me crying over spilled milk or giving things away for free. The catch? Anything that doesn't sell at 40% off I plan to re-list at the original price. I am reasonable. If you like something but want a different price, we can talk about it. If you live in the DFW area or have some way of getting your item without me shipping it, we can work that out, too. If you are close by and still don't have a Mother's Day gift - yes, Mother's Day is this coming Sunday - you may want to see what you can find in my shop for a fabulous deal! Everything is handmade and will not be handmade quite the same way ever again. These are handmade one of a kind (OOAK!) treasures, and getting 40% off already perfectly reasonably (and honestly cheap, since this is all handmade stuff that requires hours of patience, blood, sweat, and tears) priced items really makes this sale a steal. Hey, stop by. The worst that could happen is you shrug your shoulders, scrunch your nose, and move on. The best? You find a treasure that only you have found. Check It Out!

Baby Steps

I've been essentially off the grid for the last week on vacation visiting a good friend.  I think it was important to get away, though it's probably good to write another post.  Last Saturday I took a giant leap forward as far as my fear of actually doing all I need to do to be successful goes.  As a creative entrepreneur, someone who makes stuff and sells it, the most important thing is to put your work out there.  If no one is aware of what you create, how can you find a buyer?  I've been making stuff for years.  Probably about half or more of everything I own is something I have made or materials to make stuff, but I have never been good at marketing myself or my work.  I discovered in college that my work was actually interesting and purchasable, because I put some ceramics in the campus art sale a few times and made a little bit of pocket money.  Because of that and some friends' urgings I opened my Etsy shop.  I put on there stuff I made a couple years ago as well as current stuff, and then I began the daunting task of letting people know that I make stuff and am selling it.  I opened a facebook page - jensbooksandclay - and started telling people I knew about the shop.  At my sister's wedding, some guests got to see my work first hand and I made some sales.  I started discovering that sales could more easily be made in person.  Stuff just looks better in person, but like I said, I'm not good at putting myself out there.  A couple months ago, my sister signed me up to have a table at the Spring Fling event at the school where she teaches, and so of course I said, "ok," though I was thoroughly freaked out.  I knew that doing something like that was an important first step, and it didn't cost me anything.  I knew not to anticipate sales, but hoped for at least the beginning of some networking, because the event was about families coming and having fun, not so much about buying stuff, though that was an option.  It was important because now I've had a table somewhere and so the next time I do something like this it won't be as daunting.  I handed out a couple business cards and talked to a couple people who seemed interested in my work.  No sales, but a little bit of interest.  Purchasing goods was not the focus, and that's ok.  I have to keep reminding myself that success does not come overnight but comes with a lot of hard work and determination, and risk taking.  The hardest part for me is the risk taking, but baby steps my dear, baby steps.  I will get there.

Some pics of my set up at the Spring Fling: