30-Day Blog Challenge – Day 20

Where Do I See Myself in 10 Years?

I will be eligible for full retirement from Federal Service in 6 years, 10 months and 10 days from today. Once I retire, my goal is to get out of California. I was born here and I love this state, but it is way too expensive to live here anymore and it really isn’t very friendly to small business owners. As of today, though, I am not sure where I will move to. There are more things to consider than just the cost of living. My entire family lives on the West Coast, so I don’t really want to move too far away.

So, even though I will be retired from Federal Service, I don’t plan to quit working. But, I plan to be making my income doing what I love, and that is anything related to art and handicrafting. I would really like to spend more time teaching others, though. I have always enjoyed the teaching side of creating. I love seeing the amazement on someone’s face when they realize that they, too, can be an artist.

I don’t want to teach in a traditional school, though. I have already done some teaching, either one-on-one, or in a small group in someone’s home. I would like to have my own art studio, preferably on my own property, where people can come to me and learn or just practice creating things with me in my studio. I haven’t decided if I want to go the digital route and film tutorials, or not. I really prefer teaching in person.

Besides teaching, I will have grown my business, HootOwl Handicrafts. Right now, it consists of just selling the occasional item, but I have done some commissioned work, too. So far, it has been paintings, crocheted items, handmade dolls and doll accessories, decorative items, or pieces of jewelry. But I am constantly learning new techniques, so I would like to expand my business to sell more of these items.

One thing I don’t see myself doing is the craft show scene. I would rather have an online store than to make a bunch of things and then lug them around town and hope I have what people want to buy. It just doesn’t seem like the most efficient way to do it. Not knocking people who do craft shows, some people are very successful at it. It just isn’t for me. With an online store, you can reach people literally all over the world and do it 24/7.

My overall goal for the next ten years, then, is to just do more of what makes me happy, and if I can make money while doing it, all the better.