Starting a small creative business. How I did it?
Do you remember the first time you have ever been asked "what would you like to be when you will grow up"? You were probably 10 or less and had no clue at that time what life will bring you to. Well, even when you become a "grown-up" your career path may slightly change.
This was back in 2013. I was on maternity leave. The first time I have ever stopped working following a long and uninterrupted career as a scientist in Academia. I was at home in Hitchin (Hertfordshire, United Kingdom) and alone with my baby girl thinking.
Before leaving the lab, heavily pregnant, I had the great plan to complete the writing of one scientific manuscript as well as drafting a grant application. That was how my brain was thinking before having my first child. But soon, it turned out that nothing went according to plan. Instead I used most of my time (when it was not for bottle feeding, diaper changing, bathing or going for a long walk with my daughter) to think. Not at all thinking endlessly of science but about my life instead, and more specifically about where i stood in life and what would really make me happier and that could accommodate a new person in my life. (Do we call this midlife crisis?) Then it became clear that the prospect of pursuing a career in Academia which would have resumed in manuscripts and grant applications writing and submission, in addition to lecturing and running my own lab became less and less appealing.
"I didn't know what I wanted in order to improve my career path but at least I knew what I didn't want"
At that time I felt like my excitement for science was vanishing so it was time for something new and fresh in my life. I slowly realised that I needed an activity that i could be in full control of in order to regain some of the confidence I lost after having a baby. I knew how to sew (thanks to my grand mother), how to knit (thanks to my mother) and even how to crochet (thanks to many tutorials on YouTube). I started to draw some patterns and made a bunny rabbit soft toy. I then designed and crocheted few vegetables and very much loved it (my daughter too!). I became a little bit more adventurous with techniques and used fabric paints to customise a few bodysuits. I also designed some shaped nursery pillows (toadstool and hedgehogs) and soon I ended up with a wide range of products.
In April 2013, i knocked at the door of the office of Hitchin Market with this little voice in my head telling me "just go for it and stop waiting" and this is when I got my first stall at the Hitchin Farmers & Crafts market in May 2013. This was a revelation - I simply loved it. And this is how Petit MushyP' s journey all started.
Fancy some more reading? This link will drive you to an interview with the British Society for Development Biology
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ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your very kind comments. I am so glad you enjoyed reading this post. Is is very difficult to give any advice to anyone in this situation - we can only decide for ourselves but all I can do is sharing my experience hoping that it will inspire others. Perrine
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