
Where are you in your dream? At the start, gripped by inspiration, energised by possibility? On the way but battling through unexpected hurdles and giving more than you thought was possible? Is your dream now your everyday life? Would you choose another path or is this right for you?
My dream is now 18 years old. While I still struggle with balance, particularly with a toddler in the mix, I still love what I do. I feel pleasantly surprised to realise that. As soon as I’m in my workshop the world slips away and I’m immersed in the creative process. While running a business has its stresses, the creative process is incredibly nourishing for me. I love being able to see what I made with my own hands. I’m a very visual person, and adding something beautiful to the world is still the answer to the question in my heart.
Some days the grass is greener when I look around me. If I had a ‘real job’ I’d probably earn more money, I’d probably have an easier work life balance. But what is the trade off? For me creative expression is so important. The lustre of more money doesn’t keep my soul fire nourished. Finding my own artistic expression and being able to build a life where I put my energy into what I’m most passionate about is the answer I keep coming back to again and again.
I’m not a natural entrepreneur. I read the stories of people who create multi million dollar empires in just a few years, and I know that I don’t think big enough for that. My thoughts are on the small and precious details. Tending my own veggies from seed. Delighting in my daughter’s every new discovery and development. Renovating every part of our little house as my husband and I build the home we dream of raising our family in. Celebrating full rainwater tanks. Chatting deep into the night while our cat drowses by an open fire.
My business is part of that whole, part of the balance of the dreaming and doing that shapes my days. I know I don’t have many of the right answers nor do I ask the right questions when it comes to running a business. But I’m incredibly grateful that my candles have found their place in people’s homes, and so I get to keep learning and growing as both me and my business find our way forward.