It’s always an individual journey to forge your own creative life, but it’s
also a journey best shared with others. We need each other for so many
things: For ideas, for support, for advice, for companionship.

Ok. More soon.

Sometimes, I feel like, if I continue to chronicle my journey into building a sustainable creative life, I can become an example. But I'd like some of my own to look to (like you and Shannon O).
And other times, I think that this is such an individual journey, that no one's will look enough like my own to give anything more than general encouragement.

Maybe what we need is a community or tribe of people at various stages of this journey, all sharing their various trials, along with tips with each other, but also with the diy/freelance community at large (a group blog, a podcast, a forum)?

Many lose that creative inner voice… The one that always finds a way to make herself heard. It is whether or not we recognize it. I really think some do, to different degrees. Some listen just a little, enough to keep peace and fit in. Not that this is wrong, as I think for some, it is better for them to maintain that stance, psychologically. Then there are the others… Those who now only hear that little creative voice, but speak and live through it. Those are your *quit a good job in the middle of a recession* people :P

I was brought up with your typical American Family… siblings all finished college, have phenomenal stable jobs… huge houses, cars etc. I am so glad I was, because it was that that made me really truly hear my creative inner voice, of just how different I was, and what was transpiring within….

To move to a country cow town as a single mom, and eventually, start up a crochet business designing, to the dismay of many and comments abundant “You will never make it…..!” Of course, I know they all only cared, and in their eyes, they could not fathom my logic… So, their words of wisdom were heartfelt, to the best of their understanding of the world – one which I was a part of. Like you said, understanding yourself. I understood them, and understood parts of myself that they did not. Really understanding yourself, your needs, and how you work , and then meeting those needs- that is where the creative soul comes in.

I’m so happy you wrote about your experience; what an amazing accomplishment
to have put yourself to something and gotten it done. And to have enjoyed
it. I think one of the biggest challenges in following through with a
creative idea as big as yours is to make it sustainable. Yours was funded by
your severance package, and that should have been enough to stifle your
loved ones who might have otherwise worried about your well-being. Why
wasn’t it enough? I wonder about things like that all the time. Frankly, I’m
surprised not one person has commented to me that I’ve gone and quit my job
during the worst economic débâcle in generations—I gave my notice at the
magazine a week (mere days!) before the stock-market crashes in September.
I’ll certainly write here about how I (hopefully) end up making a living
doing something so unconventional at a time when people and business don’t
have much money to spend. And looky here, I’ve gone and hijacked what you
were saying. Are you still running the business you started before you took
your current job? Have any tips for people who want to live creatively?

Re: your first point, I never thought of my happiness living in Canada as
being related to my feeling of otherness, but now that you mention your own
experience I realize I’ve had a very similar one, myself. Lots to think
about, indeed.

The money I received went straight onto our mortgage as we are a pair that hates debt, and I lived on my husband's salary. My family are mostly people who live to work (not work to live) – post-war, migrant folk who could have retired years ago but keep working to keep busy. My husband was great – I think he saw I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and he was equally frustrated that I couldn't find the time or energy to create in my spare time.

I have to say that while the business was successful, I was limited by how much people wanted to pay for my items (and really, how much I wanted to charge! I wanted to be reasonable), how much time I could invest in the designing and the creating, as opposed to the posting and the emailing and the listing. And there were some low points – the lack of confidence, as mentioned above, as well as the typical “woman's guilt” about not earning an adequate income, couple with my need for a proper “break” from working at all.

I am still running my business, but on a limited basis due to lack of time. I wanted to go back to full-time work at a lower level, doing something completely different – something more creative. So now I get immersed in creating maps and helping with planning and policy. Not where I thought I'd be a year ago, but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

I've been wanting to blog the journey for some time – lessons learned and what I still want to achieve. When I do, I'll let you know.