Staying motivated

[jpetty]

So someone I know broke a cardinal rule, don't let the hobby/happy time cross over into work.  Made a bag, someone saw it and ordered four briefcases for xmas.  They threw too much money to say no (at least, *he* thought so at the time).  Here *he* sits, stitching away on bag number one but making templates along the way.  The next three will go faster, but he's worn out.  

How do you guys who actually make a living at leatherwork stay motivated?  I know, rent needs to be paid, baby needs clothes, etc.  But more about how do you stay in a flow-state and get 'er done?

Asking for a friend.

[battlemunky]

Great question! I'm wanting to see a few replies. I only feed on friends and family right now and under the understanding that I'll get it done when I get it done.

[fredk]

My problem is I just about know how long it'll take to make a certain item and I leave it so I just have that time and a little extra before I make the item.

Easier explanation; I have a small coin purse to make for a lady for approx 2pm Wednesday. I have the parts cut and pre-holed. I know it'll take me an hour to knock-up and I'm likely to be found sewing it together at 11am Wednesday

I work best, and faster when I have a deadline closing in on me

My work room is a spare bedroom in my flat [apartment] so I float in and out all day and all night. Sometimes items just take so long at first, eg, dyeing, waiting for dye to dry, sealing. . . then all of a sudden everything is ready to be assembled and I just hit it and keep at for as long as possible, either until its finished or nearly so, or until I hit a bit where I have to wait again, glue to dry, polish to dry. I'll work through the night, through the day until its done at that stage; I'll do 36 hours straight, with only cups of tea for a break [coffee doesn't work on me]

Example; a friend of a friend of a friend came to me for some leather work. Another L/w-er had let her down at the last moments. She needed a copy of a Star Wars belt, pouches and holster. Time to event, just over 5 days. It involved making templates and wet moulding. No sleep. I had it ready in just over 3 days for the young lady. I dyed it cream and the y/l was going to over-dye it ivory

Not very busy now, but when I am I may have about a half-dozen items at different stages of completion so something is always nearing finishing

[ScoobyNewbie]

Still just working to make myself happy. 

The set of chaps I did were too short notice and needed more care than I could give them. But he was happy with them. 

I agree with fredk. Procrastination, while killer is SOP.

[jpetty]

Understood on the procrastination (me <--).  I keep telling myself that making my templates are what is slowing me down.  Perhaps its handstitching over 20 feet of 7spi/ per briefcase. 

I love this work, and knew you guys would understand.  I'm going to do my best "Buddy the Elf" impersonation until xmas.

 

 

[immiketoo]

5 hours ago, jpetty said:

Understood on the procrastination (me <--).  I keep telling myself that making my templates are what is slowing me down.  Perhaps its handstitching over 20 feet of 7spi/ per briefcase. 

I love this work, and knew you guys would understand.  I'm going to do my best "Buddy the Elf" impersonation until xmas.

 

 

As a good friend of mine says, one is fun, three is work and ten is a dismal existence.  I (and I think most) often experience lack of motivation on tasks that are repetitive or tedious.  Taking the time to refine your process with templates is a great idea and I have found that the more proficient I become with a particular item, the less arduous making multiples is.  Plus, you increase your dollar per hour when you are proficient.  

This is common and you'll either learn when to say no, learn what you like and dislike or learn to increase your pricing!

[fredk]

As leather workers we revel in  OAKs - One of A Kind. To make two or more items exactly the same we rebel, and work slower. Allow some 'improvements' or variations into the copy items and each becomes an OAK. Look on each as a single item and you'll work that bit faster

just some thoughts

[immiketoo]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

As leather workers we revel in  OAKs - One of A Kind. To make two or more items exactly the same we rebel, and work slower. Allow some 'improvements' or variations into the copy items and each becomes an OAK. Look on each as a single item and you'll work that bit faster

just some thoughts

That's a good way of looking at it!

[kgg]

I prefer to just do the prep work for all the items first which I fine a real pain in the ......  then leave it for a day. Start fresh and then bang them out in one stretch.

kgg

[JLSleather]

I do what I feel like doing.  Occasionally I have taken on those things where I don't really care for it, but they're writing a good check.  In the end, I usually end up rather preferring that I hadn't agreed to do it. And the next time something comes up like that, I remember not enjoying that, and go back to doing what I would have liked to do.

 

[Kolby]

Hey, i havnt made a buisness out of this but i generaly dont like doing custom orders for the simple reason that there is a deadline and someone who has an expectation of how the product will turn out. I try to create things that only i want to make, like a journal cover or key chains and only than offer them to people. That way they know exactly what they will get and i already know how the product will turn out. Hope this helps.

[jpetty]

3 hours ago, Kolby said:

Hey, i havnt made a buisness out of this but i generaly dont like doing custom orders for the simple reason that there is a deadline and someone who has an expectation of how the product will turn out. I try to create things that only i want to make, like a journal cover or key chains and only than offer them to people. That way they know exactly what they will get and i already know how the product will turn out. Hope this helps.

I think that is the biggest lesson learned.  Its one thing to sell something I have made (past tense), seems completely different to be "on the hook" to provide an outcome.  

[bermudahwin]

One is where you are responsible to yourself, the other is a reversal, as you are responsible to a customer.

When you get recognised as the best, people will accept creativity takes longer than they expect.

My bane is "bread and butter stuff" that pays for day to day, but is oftentimes boring, when I'd rather be doing a one off expensive thing.

Thankfully I had "know the break even point" drummed into me.

If the bread and butter stuff becomes tedious you get disenfranchised too, so keep it keen, with betterment or improvements, as Fredk said.

I am always astonished at how much higher than  "generally acceptable" my minimum standard are, so people are usually content with goods.

Most of all, enjoy as much of it as you can. Also living in a country that has a good market for western goods must be a godsend. I am a tad envious.

Edited November 20, 2018 by hwinbermuda

[Kolby]

14 hours ago, jpetty said:

I think that is the biggest lesson learned.  Its one thing to sell something I have made (past tense), seems completely different to be "on the hook" to provide an outcome.  

I completely agree 

[chrisash]

Just think of the bored people out there doing jobs in say a city with hour or more crowded transport to and from home doing exactly the same job day in day out year in and so on

Then think about being your own boss working from home, or nearby, maybe with a nice view, working the hours that suit you, doing work you enjoy.

Do you still need motivation?

[bermudahwin]

3 minutes ago, chrisash said:

Then think about being your own boss working from home, or nearby, maybe with a nice view, working the hours that suit you, doing work you enjoy.

But Chris, I spend all day talking to the music player, and for some reason its replying in French at the moment (honest), sometimes I miss the contact of working in a thousand plus employee organisation, hence keeping the consulting options open, and boy do they want to buy leathergoods when they find out you make them.

It can be bittersweet, but if I had to do one, I'd opt for the less well paid leathergoods option.

[rodneywt1180b]

I'm not sure my advice applies.  Leather is an added thing for my canes and I don't make an actual living at it.

If you're making a living doing something you actually love like leatherworking then great! you're already ahead of the game.  Looking back. making money doing something you enjoy-no matter how tedious the routine stuff seems-is better than doing a job you despise just because the money is good.

Congrats on that multiple order!  I love custom orders in general.  I always learn something new from them.  Take making 4 identical cases by hand as the challenge it is and enjoy the process.  Who knows, those briefcases might become a bread and butter item for you.

[Jbrandon]

One of the best things I ever did was quit a job I absolutely hated. 

I too sometimes struggle with multiple orders because it can get monotonous but if you keep several projects going at once you can start on one while waiting for another to dry. That's the only way I've found it to be profitable especially if you look at how much you make in leatherwork per hour. Having multiple items in progress helps me to be able to have some variety. 

Just yesterday I was working on three identical custom ordered pancake knife sheaths. By the time I finished tooling the second one, which wasn't very intricate, I was bored with it and the third one I had to talk myself into doing. I love it when someone comes to me with something I've never done before.  Even though those tend to take longer because I have to start with nothing more than an idea or picture but that's part of the art.