I Have too many #WIPs

I have too many “WIPs” and not in a good Dominatrix kind of way.

WIPs are what we in the craft world call “Work(s) in Progress.” On Wednesday, my “crew” and I like to share our WIPs.  I generally on share one WIP, maybe two.  But truth be told, the abundance of WIPs in my house are killing me softly, both mentally and financially. The mental impact is due to the fact that I cannot see the fruits of my labor, so I do not have any “wins” to celebrate. Financially, the impact stems from my multiple trips to and from hobby stores to but supplies, but I have nothing to show for the investment.  Here are some of my “WIPs”:

In 2017, one of my top goals was to get my craft business up and running.  I wasn’t aiming to be a full-time crafter, but I wanted to use my creative outlet as a way to pay off a few bills and put some money away for a rainy day.

Over the past 6 months or so, I have met some wonderful sisters in the craft world who constantly inspire me.  I have taken some classes to further develop my crochet skills.  As a result of the influence of my new found friends and “education,” I now suffer for idea overload!

So, we are at the half-way point of 2017 and though I’ve made a few sales, the revenue would probable cover an off peak season electric bill.  I am taking now taking the opportunity to revisit the goals that I set at the beginning of the year and looking for ways to achieve the possible.  I have come up with a way to tame the WIPS and boost my business. My game plan is as follows:

1. Take a look at my current WIPS and make the decision to either commit to the WIP or abandon it (in other words ‘pee, or get off the pot!”
2. As new ideas/concepts come up, I will have dedicated pages in my journal to:

• Write out of the details of the proposed project;
• Write out the supplies needed for the project and note what supplies I have on hand;
• Draw a sketch of the idea; and
• Put the idea into rotation.

3. Set a realistic inventory goal that I want to carry; and

4. Set a production timeline for custom orders.

As I look at my current Crochet WIPs (note, I am serial crafter so there are all sorts of WIPS laying around), I’ve already decided on projects that I am going to toss.  I have decided that I will have no more than two WIPs going on at a time.  I decided on two because:

1. If I only worked on one, I’d be bored; and
2. I would be able to focus and finish more quickly.

So next week, I hope to have a more focused and detailed WIP Wednesday to share with you all.  If you have any tips on conquering WIPs, please share!