There are, of course, many things that motivate me to turn on the lights in the studio each morning. An idea the bloomed in my mind overnight that I’d like to create into art; orders to fill; bookkeeping to complete. When you’re the CEO/CFO/CCO of the company, there’s no one to whom you must report, so how do I really stay motivated to hustle and create everyday?
These two little faces above.
They’re not nearly as little anymore, so all the more important for me to set the example of what it’s like to work extremely hard – doggedly so, at times – and yet do so joyfully and with great fulfillment. I don’t hide things from them: when I’m tired or frustrated by something, I share it. When I’m thrilled, I share that too. Now that they’re older, they spend time in the workshop and in the studio helping, they assist me when I have to transport and mail incredibly large boxes, they greet me in the driveway when I return home from a show, ready to help unpack the car and heat dinner for me.
I hope that – in addition to the color of their hair and their artfully honed sarcasm – they’ve also inherited from me a sense of responsibility and dedication to challenging tasks that are worth pursuing. I’m grateful my own parents instilled these traits in me, and I’m lucky that I’ve got the chance to pass them on.