WyzGuy Minute Ep.4: Why You Should Know Your WHY

A Glass Blower’s Companion with Jason Michael -Helping Today's Glass Artist Think Like an Artistic Entrepreneur

During the Holiday Grind getting through the days where you wanna be somewhere else besides the studio can be one of the most difficult disciplines of a business owner. The days where you’d rather stay in bed, or hike a trail instead of full-filling an order and having to make that umpteenth wrap and rake spoon or implosion pendant. When your drive is depleted sometimes the best thing you CAN do is take a day off and get a recharge. As much as those days ARE a necessity what if you’re on a deadline and you have no choice BUT to go into the studio, then what do you do? In a previous episode of TWGRM I asked the question "Why are you a glass artist?". This is an important question and I asked it because the answer will inevitably be the fuel to get you through those days where the studio just isn't a place that you want to be...if you haven’t listened to it yet to back and listen before going any further (Episode 156:Why, What, and How-3 questions to ask yourself regarding your desire to be a Glass Artist)...it’ll get you up to speed. Knowing your WHY, Your vision for what fuels the fire, is the passion for the medium of glass which will help you get through the days where you’d rather be anywhere but the studio. Trust me. There’s plenty of days I’ve wanted to call out of work due to that worn out feeling of burnout and redundancy. Especially when my job is not only as a production artist but also communicating with hundreds of random guests though out the course of a day which can really take a toll on my energy levels. On Those days that I don’t wanna go to work or when I simply am ready to go home when I'm already there, I think about my WHY. My WHY is the guests who have stopped in to see what I’m doing. The guest who’s initial interest in what I’m doing all started because they see a bright flame from a distance which draws them into our shop. Once I engage them and a conversation begins their initial curiosity turns into a deep interest of a new art form that they might be experiencing for the first time. That WHY is what keeps me going even when mentally and emotionally I am not at my best. So make sure you know your Why and write it down. Write it BIG AND BOLD and place it somewhere, maybe in several places, where you can see it and have that reminder for Why it is what you do and hopefully you’ll be able to capture the focus and energy needed to get you through that shift. If you can’t find the motivation then maybe you need the day off but don’t take it off completely. Take advantage of the day and re-evaluate your WHY so next time you have a clear understanding and possibly a new found motivating factor to get you through those days where you feel you have nothing left to give. It’s crucial as a Business Owner and Artist to find time away from the studio to recharge but it’s also just as important to be able to conquer the days where you have zero motivation and still get into the shop and kick butt. These breakthrough days develop markers in our brain that we can look back upon from even further motivation when the WHY just isn’t cutting it.... ask questions, develop good habits and make self discipline a part of your daily routine.... And this has been your WyzGuy Radio Minute Happy Melting and Have a Wyz Day Jason Michael