My Mission in Life, Blogging, and Small Business

I probably say this every year, but spring makes me feel like a completely different person. I know it's partly because the earth warms up and birds start singing, but I also feel like my life is getting a makeover. Right now, Nick and I both started new jobs, our lease is up and we are trying to find a new rental house, and I'm starting my own business (finally, finally, FINALLY).

There's a ton going on and it's exciting and nerve-wracking all at once. I feel like I have spent so much time planning things out— just to be sitting here with this much uncertainty in my life. But everything I have right now is better than anything I could've planned.

I have been so far in my own head lately (I'm a private person anyway, but I think winter makes this habit of mine even worse!) and I wanna get out. I keep hoarding away all these ideas and plans when I should be screaming them from a mountain top.

I have a lot I want to share here with y'all, but I keep getting conflicted about what and when to post. I'm currently in the process of building a new website that will house my blog, a portfolio, and my online store— so I keep feeling like I have to "save" all this content that I'm excited about for "the new space." And now that I type that out, it sounds rather silly?!

I'm also trying to finalize things like ~branding, my logo, shipping supplies, web copy— and it feels like any minute that isn't spent working towards launching my ready-to-ship store is wasted. I currently have a list of custom book requests that I can't even count on two hands— and I don't say this to brag. It is terrifying and wonderful at the same time. People actually want what I'm making so I'm focusing all my energy on making things.

SO WHAT IS ALL THIS LEADING UP TO? 

When I started blogging, I was so inspired by other women who owned small businesses. I never thought I'd be one, but right now is the closest I've ever been to seeing my dreams become reality. So now I'm thinking about a woman who might be reading this now, who wants to start her own business, but thinks she can never be that person.

And that's why I don't wanna keep my journey/plans/thoughts a secret. I have a plan for now, and who knows if it's even going to work, but I want to share it. I'm tired of there only being a handful of small business books to read. I'm tired of every "handmade business" book telling me to start a blog, and use social media, and take better photos. I'm tired of outrageous link-bait headlines. I'm tired of pop-up opt in email boxes. I'm tired of 20 social media icons on every website— I know how to tweet links and pin pictures and like pages, thanks.

Maybe I'm just being a jerk, but I like to treat folks who come to my website like the real, intelligent people that they are. To quote Ghandi, I'm gonna need to "be the page you wish to see on the internet."

So this is my plan: 

I think it'd be dumb for me to launch a business and then move houses 3 weeks later. So for the last few weeks,  I have been taking custom handmade book orders from friends and family. This helps me five ways:

1. I can figure out what people ask for the most
2. I can gauge how long it actually takes me to make things
3. I can beef up my portfolio with recent work that I love
4. I can practice new binding methods and develop my own true style
5. I can save all the money I make from custom orders and use it to pay for bulk supplies, upgrading my tools, and new website costs.

Then once I get setup in my new house (wherever that is), I can start creating "inventory" for my online shop and for local handmade markets. So as far as my business goes, that's where I'm starting out. I have so many unique requests for books and I can't wait to show them to you. I don't have a "launch date" yet, but it seems like early summer is looking mighty fine :)

More than business plans, I'm excited about my blog. I will be more than happy to just take custom book orders part time and call that my business. Like I've said before— I just want to stop talking about starting a business and start it, for better or worse.

But blogging to connect with y'all rivals my passion for making books. I have some new features coming up that I'm hoping will really build a community of book lovers and friends. I'm hoping to turn two of my old features into link-ups so that we can all get to know each other better. But I don't mean the "follow me online in order to link up here" type stuff. I want a collective of makers and poets and writers and sketchbook lovers to join me in sharing what inspires them.

And I know this can work— I just need your help. I know you're out there hiding in the woodwork— I know because when I post about poetry, the things I'm making, and the thoughts I'm hiding in my sketchbook, that's when y'all are backing me up the most. Every time I get nervous to push that publish button on a blog post is when I get the most positive communal cheer from you.

So here I am again— typing out my secrets that I've only shared with a few close friends and wondering if I'll end up deleting or regretting this post. Sharing all these hopes and dreams I've been scheming up and then crossing my fingers that I'm not alone.

The last thing I'm going to leave y'all with is the mission statement I wrote for my blog. I was thinking about what I really want from blogging, so yes, I got super nerdy and wrote a mission statement to make sure that everything I post is good enough for you. I'm setting up high standards for myself so that together we can all make this little nook of the internet a fun and happy place to be in:

Kitty Cat Stevens is committed to supporting and celebrating handmade businesses and the people behind them. My mission is to create and fuel a community of bibliophiles by providing relevant, educational, and inspiring content to my fellow artists, writers, poets, designers, vintage enthusiasts, list-makers, scribblers, and creators to help them live the life they've always dreamed.

I hope you'll join me because I'm all fired up now and ready for all the changes, friends, and inspiration that spring has so graciously dumped into my lap.