May Flower of the Month | The Lily of the Valley
5 down.
I have officially completed 5 Flower of Month pieces. Next month it will be 6, and I will be half way through this series.
I’m not going to lie. This project has been a huge undertaking. More of an undertaking than I had anticipated. At the beginning of each month, I take some time to plan out my goals, my new products, and my schedule to make everything happen. And the last two weeks of every month are dedicated to this project, which means I have a mere two weeks to get everything else done for that month.
I’ve been surprised with how this rigorous schedule has pushed me to work harder and get more done in a shorter amount of time. I’ve been more driven this year and more organized than ever before. I now know that I can do more than I thought I could, which has been a huge blessing and a game changer for me moving forward.
I’ve started waking up at 5am to get in some early morning printing between 5 and 6:30am. This simple practice has changed the way I function in every aspect of my life. Before my early morning printing sessions, I felt like I was just barely keeping my head above water. I just couldn’t catch up. My to-do list was impossibly long, and since I’m still also a stay-at-home-mom, I truly didn’t have enough time to accomplish all of the tasks that needed to get done. Of course, I also want to have the ability to enjoy time with my youngest son while he is still home with me, which became harder and harder to do as I was constantly distracted and burdened by my work load. I spent some time praying for wisdom and then set my alarm for 5am. It’s worked wonders. Honestly, wonders. I mean, I’ve added 7.5 work hours to my week! That’s a lot of hours! A little bit of additional discipline has allowed me to start my day feeling productive instead of burdened, and it’s allowed me enough time during the day to get out orders and work on new pieces. I feel lighter and less distracted as a mom, and I’m a happier, lighter person to be around for my husband.
I feel stronger and ready to take on the remaining 7 Flower of the Month prints, as well as alllll of the other print ideas that I have swirling around in my head.
MATERIALS:
Linoleum: Blick Golden-Cut Linoleum
Brayer: Speedball Soft Rubber Brayer
Baren: Speedball Baren
I’ve consistently been purchasing my supplies from Blick. They’ve been around since 1911, and they are one of the largest art suppliers in the nation. As an affiliate for Blick, if you ever purchase materials through a link that I’ve provided, I will be compensated a small percentage of your purchase.