This week's feature is Amanda Moussa.
Tell us about yourself.
I'm an illustrator, designer and postgraduate student; and I'm married,
with a 16-month-old daughter. In the little spaces of life between those
things, I like wasting time in libraries and parks, sketching on
trains, ‘experimental’ cooking (borderline poisoning), and, in theory,
I’m a big fan of plays and poetry readings, but in practice I can’t even
remember the last time I went! I guess that’s become a casualty of a
busy life.
Tell us about your shop. What do you sell?
I sell illustrated and customized cards, prints and decor items. At the
moment, my little specialty is my illustrated ‘letter’ bookends, which
can be customized with any design, but I am also working on a larger
range of pop-up cards, wrapping paper, and nursery rhyme-themed
bookends.
When did you start creating? Why?
I’ve been drawing for most of my life, including in some of my earliest
memories, so I can’t really imagine not doing it. I do it because I
can’t not do it. But I only began making products to sell last year.
Initially they were intended purely as presents for family members, but I
had a few follow-up requests from other people, and it grew from there.
What goals do you have for your shop? Is is a hobby, major source of income, or somewhere in between?
I think it’s somewhere in between. A self-financing hobby, and sometimes
a supplemental income, depending on how productive I’ve been! It’s
still very much in its infancy, so at the moment I am working on
streamlining my production so that I can spend less time fulfilling
orders and more time developing new designs. My goal is to build up a
much larger range of products, and realize more of the ideas floating
around in my head. As my daughter gets older, I hope to invest much more
time and energy into the print illustration side, but for now,
streamlining and growing my product range is the goal.
How do you balance your business with your family?
With difficulty sometimes! Since I'm studying too, I need to make a lot
of decisions about what to prioritize and when. My daughter sometimes
likes to watch me draw, but otherwise, I don't work when she's awake. I
don't think I’d be a very good mother if I took that attention away from
her. But I'm lucky that she has quite reliable nap times at the moment -
I try to have everything constantly ready to go, so that I can grab any
spare moment to do a bit more. After my husband gets home from work, we
have some family time, and then if I have not been very productive
during the day I do an hour or two of work later in the evening, after
my daughter's bedtime. My husband often looks after her on Saturdays, so
I can get a good chunk done, and then Sunday is family time. It’s a bit
fraught at times, but I like that ‘fast-paced’ feeling of fitting a lot
in.
How do you keep everything organized? Do you have a workspace?
I have a shelf! I would absolutely love a studio, but at the moment my
materials migrate around the house with me. I do have individual boxes
for supplies, work-in-progress projects, and finished pieces, which
keeps my head somewhat organised, but no permanent workspace.
What has been the most difficult aspect of being a Mommy with a Small Business?
Not having 28 hours in the day. I used to need long stretches of time to
‘warm up’ and get myself in the right head-space to work, but I've had
to accept that I will now not often get those uninterrupted chunks of
time. I need to be ready to snatch five minutes here and there. I'm
constantly amazed at how much you can actually get done in 5 minutes if
you don't procrastinate. I was the queen of procrastination, so its been
a tough lesson to learn. I think the other difficulty is trying to
avoid burn-out and giving yourself a chance to recharge. You can’t
always be on standby without getting drained, so I have to occasionally
draw a line and say ‘no more today.’ That’s hard to do when there are
five different projects vying for attention, but sometimes it’s the most
productive thing, in the long run, that you can do.
What has been the most rewarding?
Being paid for my artwork is a very validating feeling, and it’s
especially nice to be paid for something I enjoy doing. I like knowing
that I am doing something else alongside being a mother and a wife. I
want to be a good example for my daughter, and that includes being
someone with my own identity, ambitions and interests. And, although I
don't get a lot of relaxation time, I enjoy the feeling of being busy.
Most of the time, anyway.
Do you have any tips for other moms with a small/home business?
Learn how to make the most of small chunks of time! I try to keep
several small goals in mind - finish shading a figure, paint a base coat
on a bookend, make notes on one chapter, etc - so that when I have a
free moment, I don't waste time deciding what to do next, and I don't
get overwhelmed by the entirety of what needs doing. I just focus on
those little goals, and eventually they have added up to the big goals
without me even noticing.
Thanks, Amanda!
If you would like to see more of her designs, you can find Amanda at the following websites:
Website:
www.amandamoussa.co.uk
Blog:
amandamoussa.blogspot.co.uk/
Etsy Shop:
www.etsy.com/shop/AmandaMoussa
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/amanda.moussa.art
