It was 9 years ago today. I went from fumbling through a pile of my designs, to laying exhausted in a hospital bed, holding a tiny boy in my arms. Nothing could have prepared me for the adventure of the last 9 years.
One of the pleasures that comes with starting a family in tandem with a business. I get to celebrate both on days like today. It’s my special boy Callum’s birthday today. Nine years! Where has the time gone?
9 years of sitting in piles of artwork. 9 years of tears, laughter, and tight, tight cuddles. Watching them grow, watching them reach new milestones. Having the honour of being there every day, to hold their hand.
It fills me with immense pride to have been the caretaker of both my business and my children. Days like today remind me of how far we have all come as a unit.
It is a healthy practice to remind yourself, how much potential you carry inside of you. Every passion or dream that you hold within is like seeds within a pod. When you finally sow your aspirations, they come alive in ways you could never have imagined.
Being a mother and a working artist were dreams I held within me for many years. Flourishing into both spaces simultaneously has been beyond challenging. I have found that, for businesses and children alike, in order to thrive, they both need similar things.
The first is consistency. You have to be there. A business, much like a child, needs constant nourishment and attention. Being attentive and engaged with all aspects of their development is vital in ensuring success.
The second is love. If what you’re doing is not a labour of love, then it is reduced to labour. Believe me, there are many tasks to be done as a parent or when owning a business. It is the tenderness that sweetens the strife.
Gap-toothed grins are the balm that sooths when the red-faced tantrums begin. Despite a business not actually being able to cry at you, (making you cry being rather easier) you must keep your memory green of the business’ peaks when you are wading deep through the mire of its troughs.
I know I am not alone in my experiences of these things. Looking on Tik Tok at small businesses (especially with this month being March meet the creator on social media) I have been introduced to so many businesses. Artists and mothers with the same passion that I have, starting out with just a stall or an online shop.
They’re business is just in its infancy. Their dreams have only just began to sprout. I hope in 9 years time that they too will be able to look back at where their business began with pride.
Now that I’ve said my piece, I would like to leave you with this photo of my three all together for World Book day. Let me know if you can guess who they all went as!
Gillian x
