I have been watching the thread on working at home with much
interest. I need some advise on this exact issue. What to do
within reason for interruptions. They do think that unless you
are there they will never get anything resolved or they need your
undivided attention to do what they normally would do by
themselves. I know how to handle friends but how do you handle
kids and spouses?..Char
Rob, I for one don’t “SIT” home all day… I work my tail off… I
did my share of repair work. Maybe you should try doing 4 or 5
custom waxes with channels and azurs, under-carriages and air
holes. Then the next day casting them. While your burnout is
going thru try sitting down cleaning some of the castings from
three days prior. Nothing I do is in any way routine. Of course
after everything is casted, cleaned and polished. Then of course
I have to set whatever stones must be set. Doing reapairs is fine
and it is work… But being that I have done repairs for a long
time and I am now doing what I want to do (custom work) let me
assure you that I am not just “SITTING” at home…and I know for
a fact that I am getting paid for the dust I create… so pick up
some wax make a ring with 15 or so tapered baguettes all in
prongas of course with an under carriage, then down each side of
the shank make a channel for 4 tapered in size rounds from 5
points to 2 points. Now at the top of the ring don’t forget to
make a basket setting for the pear shaped Tanzanite (with a boot
for the tip) … Oh and make sure this is all done in wax… When
you are done let me know how you enjoyed “SITTING” around all
day… Marc MarcCO. Mfg. (and yes I work at home)
Kirstin:
Tell you “Hubby” you need a safe and comfortable work
enviornment. You’ll freeze to death on the porch (no to mention
security concerns) and the dark, damp basement is just plain
dangerous to your health - both physical & mental. I would think
it would be a simple thing to set up in a bedroom. Simply be
sure you have sufficent ventalation and electrical outlets.
Another problem might be noise. As for time…well if you find
yourself in a time crunch-and I certainly understand that-you
need to decide what’s best now. The little one won’t always be so
little. I worked entirely at home for 13 years watching my 2 kids
grow and helping out. It was worth it. Now I’m cutting down on
repairs and expanding into one-of-a-kind pieces hoping to
eliminate repairs entirely. However, I had the advantage of a
clean, dry basement and a spouse who was also at home. I always
found time to be an advantage for me as I could divide up my time
as I wished. When my kids were born, I could help out and
perhaps work early mornings, evenings and weekends. I could take
them to various outings and pick them up from school. When my
Mom became ill with terminal cancer, I-along with my wife-could
keep her out of a nursing home and care for her until the end
came. The ultimate in flex-time. The biggest problem was
discipline. You have to push yourself sometimes but that’s the
downside to self-employment of any kind. Sorry to go on and on but
you see…you hit a nerve.
Hope this helps;
Steve
Dear Kieran,
Just picked up your thread. I am not sure if your Prof. is
correct or not…and what do you have against commercial jewelry
? Let me back up here… I love my store…been at it for many
years ( retail ). I sell all kinds of jewelry ( well not all
qualities : absolutely no 10 karat and no plated jewelry and no
synthetics ) as well as selling my own designs and custom work.
In the beginning it was small…you know seven days a week to
scrape by etc…but me is not the issue…What do YOU want ? I
started with $3000 dollars and hope. What do you want Kieran ?
I suppose it is possible to fill several cases with your own
custom Jewelry in the beginning. But you will find as people come
to trust you ( Jewelry is still a very big trust issue with many
people ) you might not have time to fill your cases…Or
customers want something else that you cannot manufacture ? Some
commercial jewelry is very very good ( I bought some very high
quality platinum and 18 karat diamond rings that are fused
together with a laser welder…fabulous work in this factory
wish I could get there to see this laser welder in action ).
If you want a store you need to plan at first. There are only
three things you need : A PLAN : A GOAL : and a BUDGET… Make
your store how you want it to be…Surprises happen everyday. Who
knows what you can accomplish if you don’t try. What do you want
Kieran ? Maybe we can all take a holiday and visit you at your
store and put in our two cents and really confuse you ? If you
open one ?
This probably didn’t help…It’s late and I am going to bed.
Cordially
Terry Parresol
Hello Steve. Thank you for your input! I am working on that
bedroom studio with the “hubby” now - hopefully I can convince
him that the money I’d bring in would be worth the sacrifice in
space. Indeed, I hit a nerve, which you compunded 
Discipline
is the key - and I lack it 
They didn’t teach me that skill
in school. Kind Regards, Kirsten in PA
Char, if possible you set up a space which is “your office
(workshop)”, regardless if it is in a closet or a spacious room
or half the garage–but find a space, set up your tools there and
tell spouse and kids that when you are in that space you are
WORKING! and working means doing something which will earn money
to help supplement the budget, buy a vacation, pay for
college–or whatever you plan to do with your earnings–and that
when you are WORKING it means they are not to come to that space
and interrupt you for anything unless someone is on the floor
dying or the house is burning down! no ifs, ands, or buts…and
whenever they enter your work space, remind them that you are
working and cannot talk to them now–go see dad and let him solve
the problem, or write it down and wait until you come out of your
work space and have stopped working. If you remind them enough,
and refuse to cope with or solve whatever it is they want
(nicely but firmly, of course) they will eventually realize you
mean it and your work-time will be your time to work. I ran a
substandard risk placing insurance business out of my home for
years (in addition to a fulltime job!) and when I went into the
small room marked “Mom’s Work Space”, noone bothered me until I
came out. Good luck, and BE FIRM. Sharon Holt
I think you have to be willing to work in small snatches of
time. You have to keep your bench clean and your work organized.
If you have 30 minutes to work before it’s time to cook dinner
and your work is organized, then you can sit down and do 25
minutes of work (saw out this many somethings, file this many)
and clean up. One can’t sit down and hope for inspiration when
the work time is scattered. I would leave the inspiration bits
for weekends and then set up work projects for during the week.
Review each weekend and adjust as necessary.
Set goals. Set goals for producing so much a week, developing
so many new designs each week.
Good luck. Hope this is helpful.
Elaine
I joined a local cooperative art gallery in my town. I had to
put up money for membership and sit at the gallery while my
children where at preschool. It got me motivated to work while
they slept and I would hire a high school student to take the
kids for a walk so I could work for 3 hours every other day. It
was a start. Now I work everyday from 8 am until 3;30 when the
kids come home . Working at home has been great for the family,
but it does get lonely and you need some input from the outside
world and other artist. That is one reason why Orchid has helped
in so many technical and emotional ways. Congratulation on the
award, you get my vote!
Char, I have found the only way to handle the family part of the
interuptinons is to falt out tell them unless somebody is about
to die, they just have to pretend I am at work and I shouldn’t be
bothered… My fiance’ always assumes that because I work at home
I could just take off and go to the mall with her… In the
begining she was a little mad but she got used to it… I simply
told her that if she expects me to answer her every interuption
and want me to leave my work, then in the middle of her work day
I am going to go to her place of work and demand that she leave
so she could come with me to buy toothpaste…(lol) They will
start to understand… you just have to be firm… Marc MarcCo.
Mfg…
Hi Terry. 
I’ll attempt to answer your post logically and in
sequence. This is all just my frank opinion.
What I have against commercial jewelry is the fact that so much
of it is utter crap. There, I said it. It seems to be about
money, not beauty or craftsmanship. In most commercial jewelry
stores, I see the same old designs, and it breaks my heart to
see a few of the jeweller’s own beautiful unique pieces staring
up, lonely, next to the $99 REAL GOLD! REAL DIAMOND! special. It
also means that when you spend hours and hours on a coffee set,
or whatever, and try to sell it retail, your customers look at
the $2000 price tag and say, “Well, I can get it cheaper at
_____!”, regardless of the fact that theirs are mass-produced or
whatever. I’m not saying your store is like this, this is just
my experience and what I wish to avoid. I actually took note
when you said you have no 10k or plated items… but I haven’t
seen many stores with that kind of standard, at least not here
in Ontario. Sure, it pays the bills, but I’m going into this
knowing I’m not going to get my return on plique-a-jour or
mokume or granulated stuff, and wanting to do it anyway for the
sake of the sheer beauty of it. Ah, youth… I look at
the fantastic pieces the Etruscans and Scythians and Goths did
and it fuels me with the desire to bring that level of "Wow"
back again. Maybe in 40 or 50 years…
Having said that, retail jewelry stores are necessary IMO to
keep jewelry from becoming a haven for the elite and the elite
only. Anybody can walk in to a People’s or whatever and try on a
4 carat diamond cluster brass-knuckle-substitute and feel good
about themselves. As well, some things you can expect will sell
(like wedding bands) and what’s the point of fabricating all of
them by hand? I agree that some commercial pieces can be very
nice, and have no doubt that my operation will have some. So,
my beef with commercial stuff is more of an overall gripe about
customers not appreciating true craftsmanship in the name of a
few bucks than a direct snob. I still stand by my desire to
have as much as possible be really unique – I think there’s a
real niche for unusual jewelry.
As for customers, if I can’t manufacture it, well, I order it
from someone who can and pass on the price. The customer gets
what the customer wants. As for dropping by to give me your two
cents, I was musing about having an “Orchid” open house if it
happens… so everybody can look at my stuff and go, “Mm… looks
like you’ve got some firescale there… have a little trouble
with that tube setting did you?..” When it comes to
jewelry, I am merely a babe in the woods…
Actually, hearing your opinion was very helpful Terry. I
hope I’m not going to get basted too hard for my blithe
ramblings… It just saddens me to see really brilliant artisans
(like one of my profs in particular) be constantly passed over
for the cheaper buy, especially when I know he’s not
over-charging. Nuff for now, baste away everybody.
-Kieran
Re: What to do within reason for interruptions. … I know
how to handle friends but how do you handle kids and
spouses?..Char
You “train” them by being consistent in letting them know when
they need to be more independent, and manage without you.
(Don’t expect them to do it easily–you must insist, firmly and
nicely.) Younger kids do well with “bribes” and bargains. eg.
“I need to work for two hours. If you don’t interrupt me, I
will do ______ with you.” (This also helps you to focus,
because you know they will only “give” you that 2 hours, and no
more!) Cindy
Cynthia Eid
http://www.silverhawk.com/crafts/eid
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex98/eid-c
Kirsten, you said “Discipline is the key - and I lack it”
After having worked at home for the last 14 years, I still have
that problem but the knowledge that if I don’t do it, it won’t
get done is a great motivator. And about that bedroom conversion
into your studio – tell Hubby that having a properly set-up
workspace with a door that closes is one of the prime
requirements for you to be productive. Working in "make do"
surroundings just won’t cut it in the long run. When you enter
your own work space, you psychologically adjust to working mode
which makes you more productive, thus more profitable. My late
husband was a left-brain type (statistical analyst) and when I
explained it to him that way… voila! He understood and I never
had a problem with having a room dedicated as my studio.
HTH, Dorothy
Just a short story about working at home.
After 20+ years of dealing with all the problems, decisions and
long hours necessary to have a retail operation, I decided to
reprioratize and move back home where I had worked years before.
I built myself a small shop behind my house and moved in (what
would fit) what was absolutely necessary to get the job done.
That was in the spring 2 years ago. That summer my 8 year old
son and I would take bike rides to the creek, picnic in the back
yard, and generally goof off together for a short while during
the day. While riding in the car on the way to his first day of
the new school year, my wife asked him what he most enjoyed
about the summer. Without hesitation his answer was “Having my
dad at home so we could do things together.” I almost ran off
the road. You see, I also have a 25 year old son who I rarely
got to do much with because I felt it was more important to
"take care of business." I always showed up for the plays and
ball games, etc., but the little things like short bike rides
and gritty sandwiches in the back yard fort I missed. Not this
time.
The work isn’t as plentiful as it was, and the money is a little scarce at
times, but working at home sure is nice.
Been following this work at home discussion and I’m surprised
that no one has mentioned what are perhaps the three most
critical factors of a home shop: 1) Security, 2) Security and
3) Security. People are breaking into homes, kidnapping store
owners and escorting them to their stores where they disarm the
alarms and open the safes, leaving a cohort behind (at the home)
to threaten family members, while the safe is emptied out.
Operating out of the home makes the above process that much
easier for the bad guy. Operating a retail concern out of a
private residence is risky (and some would say unprofessional).
Operating a low traffic wholesale/manufacturing concern is
possible but only a very few need to actually know where your
shop is. “I’ve got a shop near my home” or “I can walk to work
some days” are good replys. Yes, even lie about it “I keep an
office at home but my shop is elsewhere”. Nothing is worth
sacrificing your family’s security for.
Get a PO box for all packages. Get a good safe to keep the
amateurs at bay. Don’t get a gun unless you know how and are
willing to use it. Talk to your kids about security: How to
answer the phone/door etc. etc. Don’t drop your guard. This
is very serious stuff.
A healthy dose of paranoia from
Wayne Lenkeit
Even before I started my fulltime jewelry artist career, there
was a five year period when I handled claims out of my home. My
kids were young, and I was on call 24 hours a day. Once the
kids were old enough, I had them in a combination of daycare,
school, at my mother’s, sister’s…etc. The key is not to feel
guilty about it…You get a break, the kids learn socialization
skills and get a head start on their education, etc.
When they were at home, I taught my kids that mom was working
at home not playing. Kids are amazingly receptive to this
concept. My older child babysat my younger child when I was
working on weekends. Eventually, he could get her breakfast,
watch her or whatever I needed. I taught my kids to be able
to function independently of me…(this helps a great deal when
they are grown and it’s time to move out on their own…) and
they were always within earshot if they needed me. they
accepted this because I did save large blocks of "Quality Time"
for them to go to the park, museums, breakfast out or whatever.
Of course, they knew they could interrupt me if necessary and.
I took periodic brakes to feed them or whatever they needed.
I was never able to train my husband as proficiently as my kids,
but he understood, it was work not play. The key is balance.
The hardest lesson I learned was to let the phone ring. My
kids had a distinctive ring number to call me if necessary. A
double ring for my kids and customers and a single ring for
everybody else. It was amazingly simple.
The bottom line is that family, if trained properly, can allow
you to function in the home. You just have to let them.
Carol
Hi Folks,
I responded to this thread once earlier and I forgot to mention
an extremely important caveat. Be careful not to spend your
entire life in your studio! I was doing fine and suddenly I
started getting calls from new Dentists. My skills were
becoming in demand. I had about the highest fee schedule in
quite a distance around. Soon I was working so many hours it
was ridiculous. Before long there were no days off. In Dental
Technology, you need to meet a very strict delivery schedule
because you not only disappoint the final recipient of the work
but you have a Dentist and his staff that have the time blocked
out and if you can’t make it on time the Dentist will loose
money, BIG money.
There are 2040 hrs. is a normal work year allowing for a 2 week
vacation. I was soon working over 4000 hrs. per yr. Having
adopted 4 special needs children, 2 of whom are learning
disabled, hyper active, and badly bi-polar with incredibly
rapid recycling, and being self-employed, the insurance
premiums were $2000 per month when the group I was in
disbanded. The new insurance I got for $650 per month didn’t
include me or my youngest son!(I’m diabetic) I had health
related bills for my kids that looked like mortgage payments on
the Taj Mahal! I worked like this for about 5 or 6 years and
it has greatly contributed to my failing health.
Remember to wake up and smell the Roses, and I can also tell
you that you can never come close to doing your best work when
you are exhausted constantly.
Regards,
Skip
Skip Meister
@Skip_Meister
N.R.A. Endowment &
Certified Instructor
in all disciplines
Certified Illinois D.N.R.
Hunter Ed, Instructor
Kirsten:
Thanks for the reply and congratulations on your determination
to chase your dream. I think you will handle the time thing just
fine.
Best of luck!
Steve
Hello again!
It is great to hear all the different posts on this subject. I
also am a member of a coop art gallery - 1 1/2 years now. A
beautiful environment to show my work and meet customers. We
work one shift a week - so, it keeps me on a weekly deadline
schedule and I try to arrange as many meetings with customers as
possible during my scheduled gallery hours. It is very helpful
to have some contact with the public. Of course, sharing all
aspects of the gallery makes it another part -time job - but
definitely manageable.
As far as the self-discipline dialogue - I have accepted the
fact that I am a “deadline” person. The difference is that we
create our own deadlines - they do not come from an employer or
a school. Creating a body of work for the deadline of a show is
one way. I am on a weekly deadline schedule for the coop
gallery. It helps.
I can really relate to the snippets of time approach to
completing work. It is a luxury to have a wonderful
concentrated long stretch of time to work. Sometimes I am given
the gift of a full day - however, most of my work has to be
completed in steps - and I have learned to accept that and just
stay on track.
Also, I did have to quit my part time steady income 5 years ago
in order to finally pursue the independent jewelry work full
time. It is amazing how much one can accomplish when it is
necessity!
The relatives have stopped calling on me as a first choice to
take them places and I think that those who had their doubts are
finally accepting that this is my “real” job! My husband has
been very supportive.
Good luck in your pursuits and stay focused.
Forge ahead.
Cynthia
Hi All: To those of you who are interested in working at home,
I’d like to know where you plan to display your work. My studio
at home is in no shape to invite people to see. Am I correct
that you still need to hustle your work to galleries, etc. Maybe
I’m not as neat as most of you. I’m usually working on a few
projects at the same time and can’t stop to clean up until the
inspiration is over. I’m using a bedroom. By the way, Don’t
forget you need water nearby.
Frances
Visit me or “beam me up” at:
http://www.toast.net/~frangro/index.html
My advice is get a warm sunny space. Ive tried working in
basement and cold area and it is not enjoyable when your fingers
are knumb. Working an hour for pay job and raising a 3 year old
wow. Compliment yourself for every bit of studio work you do
geet done. You are doing good. Marci CoitArt@aol.com