I am a week into my new years’ resolution of examining my new retirement and making a more detailed plan (if necessary) on how to spend my time. Much of it is determined by my state of health with my peripheral neuropathy limitations. Doing what is within my physical abilities. I definitely want to be selling things I make as a part of my ongoing small business venture. I call it my art, but it my definition and description of tangible art is very broad.
I like making a little income from the things I can sell. My immediate realization is it is not a replacement for my old income stream from when I had a well defined occupational job. I know it is more a self-funding hobby operation. I will make purchase decisions with a focus on return on investment but not entirely.
The desire is to enjoy what I am doing and have a reason to stay active creating new things. It’s the “making of tangible things” that is now most important to me.
The enjoyment is the creation and sharing of what I can make and not the possession of the finished object. Of course I like to admire what I have made but I don’t have the desire to keep it all for myself. That is not what it is all about.
I occasionally watch a TV show about antique and junk “pickers” and the folks they visit who are unwilling to part with the hoarding collections they have amassed over a lifetime. It truly is no different than the obsessive possessive desires that are considered a form of mental compensation. None of that here (to any visible extent 🙂 )
My “business plan” is not so much about creating wealth or “collections” as it is about enjoying my work. The business part is just to make sure I can continue to do what I love without draining the financial reserves of retirement. I still want to eat and pay the bills. The business plan is to earn enough to keep the flow going.
So for now and so far… No radical change from the status quo. If I find a “better mousetrap” to build at substantial profit, then I will revisit and revise the business plan. I AM keeping all options open as far as a perfect product. I will know when I see one so my plan is to keep an open mind. I have feelers out for suggestions.
My other website linked from the home page on this website show what I have been doing to fill my creative desires.