Steph Davies:

It's been a rollercoaster of a journey so far and it's only been two weeks (to the day) without a day job...I'm still trying to figure out a natural way of working in my studio...for years I've had small pockets of time, usually late in the evening to crank out work so I'm used to working with limited time and churning out as much work as I can in that block of time.  With long stretches of time my mind wanders, I seem to get less done...it's proven a challenge (which makes no sense, I admit....wow, Steph you have more time than ever to create and yet you feel like you're creating less)
Realistically, I've made a lot of work in the last two weeks, perhaps when you compare it to my larger pockets of time, it just seems like less.  I made 32 mini pieces for the annual "Mini show" that opens this Friday at Art Bar...I'm proud of these pieces and excited to make more.
I have seven larger pieces in progress at the moment...staring me down (or up) from my studio floor.
Emotionally and [...]

So, today marks a week without a real job. 
I've definitely been counting out my change and had a few moments of clenched teeth wondering how the heck I'm going to make this work. But more often than that I find myself feeling REALLY REALLY lucky to have this chance to create. 
So I wake up every morning and start my day, in my pajamas, in my studio where I brainstorm ideas-new ways to get my work out into the public and, after having some cereal and putting on some "real" clothes, I usually spend my afternoon working on one of those ideas.  Today I polished up my etsy site (see it for yourself, here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SDaviesArt) and made a lot of jewelry for some upcoming craft shows. 
I also took a nice walk this afternoon with my husband...something I haven't gotten to do in a while.
I still catch myself feeling a little nervous about the logistics of all of this...but I believe it will work out, and I think right now that's half the battle.
This evening I'll [...]

Hey everyone...
for those of you who don't know-I turned 29 this week, on Wednesday, and though I hadn't planned on it-I quit my job on this day as well. 
My mantra since then has become "quit your day job, make art" which is what I intend to do for the next year.  I will not, as many expect, go immediately searching for another job to fill up virtually all of my time.  Instead, starting tomorrow, I will wake up and head right into my in-home art studio and start creating as if my life depended on it (cause for once, it kind of does). 
I mean, this is what I went to school for right? So why not make a go of it.  So far, it's exactly what I always expected it to be: art supplies are suddenly more expensive-seeming then ever...I'm not entirely sure how I will feel the next time I go to the grocery store or the next time I have to write my rent check. I'm hoping I feel prepared & at ease, but time will tell. (I must admit, these things are causing me to freak out [...]