Earlier today I was writing an email to one of my closest friends, responding to her encouraging words about my Etsy shop. Way back when, she and I lived together and today she mentioned that she remembers me making candles to get through the rough times back then. It sparked my thoughts about how my struggles in life often result in my creative work.
A-ha! No wonder I am happier making a living by making the things that have always brought me calm throughout my life! I thought I would share a slightly edited (for privacy reasons) version of my response to her supportive email. And I should add...I love my friends and family. My husband, friends and family are a massive support system that keep me going through all of the ups and downs. Thanks to all of you. You know who you are.
Here is what I wrote in the email to my friend:
"i also reflect, like you said, on how much it has helped me through the rough times. what i think about now is that i can afford to do it the right way with real ingredients and not just crayons and old candles and those mexican prayer candles! the wax i use for each type of candle is meant for each type of candle so i don't have pillar candles that "sag" like back then when i was broke. i have learned a lot about the process and temperatures and cooling times and the chemistry and physics of it all. so now mine are better than a lot of other ones people are selling. mine look cooler, smell stronger and better and burn longer, cleaner and more evenly than most homemade candle makers. i have used just about every type of wax out there and i am a true believer in my super anal process that i have developed over the many years of making. most customers probably just like the custom label thing and picking out their fragrance...but what they don't know is that i am an expert and they're getting something they are about to love more than they thought when they clickity clicked the payment button. i have been getting a lot of awesome feedback from my custom order people and it is so freaking rewarding. more than any job i have ever had. and i get to be home with my animals in my beautiful kitchen looking out at the snow, not driving in it. looking out at my yard...not cubicle walls."
I wanted to share that because I thought it might offer a glimpse of what my process does for me. My shop sales allow me to do what I have always done to be who I am. I think that is why I can confidently tell the world I'm really good at it!
Thanks to all of my customers who make this life a possibility!
A-ha! No wonder I am happier making a living by making the things that have always brought me calm throughout my life! I thought I would share a slightly edited (for privacy reasons) version of my response to her supportive email. And I should add...I love my friends and family. My husband, friends and family are a massive support system that keep me going through all of the ups and downs. Thanks to all of you. You know who you are.
Here is what I wrote in the email to my friend:
"i also reflect, like you said, on how much it has helped me through the rough times. what i think about now is that i can afford to do it the right way with real ingredients and not just crayons and old candles and those mexican prayer candles! the wax i use for each type of candle is meant for each type of candle so i don't have pillar candles that "sag" like back then when i was broke. i have learned a lot about the process and temperatures and cooling times and the chemistry and physics of it all. so now mine are better than a lot of other ones people are selling. mine look cooler, smell stronger and better and burn longer, cleaner and more evenly than most homemade candle makers. i have used just about every type of wax out there and i am a true believer in my super anal process that i have developed over the many years of making. most customers probably just like the custom label thing and picking out their fragrance...but what they don't know is that i am an expert and they're getting something they are about to love more than they thought when they clickity clicked the payment button. i have been getting a lot of awesome feedback from my custom order people and it is so freaking rewarding. more than any job i have ever had. and i get to be home with my animals in my beautiful kitchen looking out at the snow, not driving in it. looking out at my yard...not cubicle walls."
I wanted to share that because I thought it might offer a glimpse of what my process does for me. My shop sales allow me to do what I have always done to be who I am. I think that is why I can confidently tell the world I'm really good at it!
Thanks to all of my customers who make this life a possibility!
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