Today it's time to walk the walk.
Even with a full time job, I still wanted more. Like there was a spark, a fire, a deep-seated ember, perhaps. I started out designing personalised greetings cards for friends and family using a piece of desktop publishing software I got on a disc from a magazine.
I was still pushing words and numbers around on a screen for an insurance company whilst I was doing this. And that helped because my colleagues would ask me to make cards for them, too. This kind of 'work' filled my soul. I loved it.
Looking back, whilst I have very few regrets, I could have doubled down on this gig more than three decades ago. The bristling desire to create was always there.
But I was conditioned for working a job. That was what I did; I went to school for 11 years, left with whatever grades I could muster (not many, by the way), and then I used those grades like a shiny badge (in my case, it was rusty) to get myself into a job where I traded my time for their money. 160 hours, every single month, traded for whatever pay packet I could 'attract'.
I duly worked that paid job for almost 30 years. All the while, though, it was like I was always meant to work for myself. I just didn't think of it as a real proposition. All it would ever be was a side gig. And, of course, that was reflected in my pricing.
I made those completely unique greetings cards from scratch. It would take me the best part of a couple of hours per card. I designed them, following a 'brief' laid out by the client, printed them on excellent quality material, laminated them, scored them and folded them by hand, put them in an envelope, and sold them, for a few of those lovely British pounds. Just a few... way, way less than what they were worth.
The thing is, you couldn't buy what I was creating anywhere on the high street, and the internet was barely in its infancy, so there was no Moonpig, no Funky Pigeon back then. Even those booths in Clinton's where you could mash up your own cards were a few years away at that point.
But that's what I had created as a side gig. It just didn't feel like something I should take seriously. I could have scaled that and made a really, really good chunk of money doing what I loved.
But I didn't.
Not until it really mattered, that is. That story is for another time, though.
Back to the side gig; I was talking to an old pal of mine and something he said made it click. He said to me "Listen, Carl. The only thing holding you back from doing this for real, is the fear of what other people will say, or think of you." He was right. I was unwell with the stress, anxiety of the day job, and with grief. And I needed out. And I was letting what other people think about me stop me in my tracks. I was letting that stop me from doing something I knew would help me feel better.
It was then that the alarm bells rang loudly. I could make it work. I could do something creative. And it could make me a living. But it NEVER would unless I took the decision to make it happen.
And that's all I had to do. It was so simple.
I took the decision to make it happen, and I discussed it with no-one. Not a single person.
I quit my day job. And I started a children's book publishing business which would go on to publish over 40 different titles. I did most of the design work, I had some part-time help with some of the other stuff. And I made it happen.
Did I get things wrong? Hell yes!
Is that business still running? Hell no.
Would I do things differently if I did it again? Hell yes!
Did it keep me down? ALMOST!
But it didn't.
I am still running my own business, and I am using my decades of experience in design to help other people's businesses come to life.
Am I making a good living? Hell yes!
Do I do a great job for my clients? Hell yes!
Do they come back for more? Hell yes!
Will I ever give up? Hell no.
Today is the day - I always say this. If you want to do something different with your life, please...
DO
IT
TODAY!
Take the decision to do it, and get to work on how you will make it happen.
If you need help. You know where to come.
You have so got this.
Big Love. X
Carl.
