Things have been a bit slow here at Scarlett17Knits Towers (not my real address!) lately. Long story short, I was made redundant from my day job last month. Anyone who has been through a redundancy knows it can be an emotional process, even if you're expecting it. I wasn't expecting it which made it even more of a blow to lose a job I loved. I'm also someone who has always defined myself and my sense of purpose through my work. Without my job, suddenly I wasn't sure who I was any more. OK, I'm also Mummy, wife, knitter, designer, friend, daughter, but I didn't have "wage-earner" or "professional" high up on that list any more.
It completely knocked my creativity too. For about a week I didn't even want to knit (and that's how I know things must be bad!) or to spin. All my design ideas suddenly seemed pointless, not worth pursuing, or too hard work to get my brain around.
For now, I have decided to go freelance while I work out the next step on my career path and have signed up with an agency and, thankfully, have already started getting work (slowly, but everyone's got to start somewhere) which has massively helped my sense of professional self-esteem. I had two designs that were almost-ready which I had pushed aside when everything started falling apart at work, but which I now feel ready to pick up again. I've had them both tech edited already and will be looking for testers before the end of the week. I've also had my confidence boosted by the success so far of this month's pattern release (Shetland Marine, if you missed it), and by a weekend away with knitting friends that completely recharged my batteries.
I'm working on a new sock design, and I've also made good progress on a circular lace shawl design, as well as casting on my first socks from handspun sock yarn!
I might have had a setback but I'm down but not out. Onwards and upwards, right?!
It completely knocked my creativity too. For about a week I didn't even want to knit (and that's how I know things must be bad!) or to spin. All my design ideas suddenly seemed pointless, not worth pursuing, or too hard work to get my brain around.
For now, I have decided to go freelance while I work out the next step on my career path and have signed up with an agency and, thankfully, have already started getting work (slowly, but everyone's got to start somewhere) which has massively helped my sense of professional self-esteem. I had two designs that were almost-ready which I had pushed aside when everything started falling apart at work, but which I now feel ready to pick up again. I've had them both tech edited already and will be looking for testers before the end of the week. I've also had my confidence boosted by the success so far of this month's pattern release (Shetland Marine, if you missed it), and by a weekend away with knitting friends that completely recharged my batteries.
I'm working on a new sock design, and I've also made good progress on a circular lace shawl design, as well as casting on my first socks from handspun sock yarn!
I might have had a setback but I'm down but not out. Onwards and upwards, right?!
RSS Feed
