Something's Got to Give-A 16 Hour Work Day in the Life of a Steampunk Artist named Dr Brassy

5:30AM- Wake up to husbands work alarm that sounds like dying seagulls. Curse, snuggle, hit snooze.

6:00AM- Coffee (Kona with cocoa powder, sugar and whipped cream-also known as morning dessert) and newspaper with husband. Do word puzzles in which High IQ Society husband kicks my ass-every time. Lament on idiocy of politicians, read letters to Editor, proclaim to want to write rebuttal to letters to Editor (but never do). Do Isaac Asimov Quiz (another ass kicking by husband unless the subject matter is celebrities, Steampunk trivia or medical terminology preferably having to do with pharmaceuticals).

 6:45AM-Kiss husband and pat his tush off to work. Makeout in the driveway in robe for all neighbors to see. Say goodbye to husband again. Pat tush again. Wave. Go back in the house. Feed cats. Think how nice it would be to be a cat.

7AM- Take first dose of pain killers. Get on computer. See 127 new Facebook messages. Answer questions, post smiley faces/hearts/XOXO/thank yous... and move on.

7:20AM-Pain killers kick in. Aaahhhhh :)

8:00AM- Sigh on to and check/answer five different emails (family, personal, spam, job search, business). Apply for real jobs, beg for my art to be included in/on every Steampunk magazine/blog/movie/TV show/artist/musician. Call Gramma to hear same story about her Casino jackpot win 6 years ago. Tell her I love her but need to get back to work. Explain again, that I work from home, when she asks me for the 10,000th time if I got a real job. 

10:00AM- Post new photos on Flikr and Etsy, Pinterest and Steampunk Lab. Check in with Steampunk Empire, Etsy Teams and my on-line friends (which are my "real" friends).

11:00AM-Take 2nd dose of pain killers for the day (every 4 hours) Check bank accounts. Balance accounts for the day, issue refunds as noted, check Paypal balance and order supplies. Make wish lists of jewelry supplies I can't afford. Look at other peoples jewelry who are way more talented than I am. Start to feel depressed....

12:00PM-Check Etsy and look at all the Chinese Resellers that are Featured Shops, Front Page or Featured Sellers. Curse Chinese Factories to hell. Getting more depressed. Move on...  

1:00PM-Finally get to my Etsy shop. Dr Brassy on Etsy Look at all the beautiful and fun things I create with my own hands. Start to feel proud (or maybe it's just the pain killers). Start boxing up items that sold to ship out.  Send thank you and shipping notifications to everyone. Answer more questions. Check Facebook again, see 141 new messages. Wonder how people have so much time for Facebook. Dr Brassy on Facebook

 2:30PM-Check Dr Brassy website on IndieMade, take down listings sold on Etsy. Work on SEO. Check traffic volume. Dr Brassy Steampunk

3:00PM- Take 3rd dose of painkillers. Make mental note that I love my doctor. Take all boxes and envelopes to the Post Office. Swing by grocery store and buy groceries for next 3 days (Mostly plant based food).  Happy to just be outside the house, talking to living breathing human beings. Hug a total stranger....Go back home.

4:00PM-Finally go into studio to create. Work on a few long-term projects. Check status of research and development pieces, get "light bulb over the head" idea of a new piece of jewelry, make a few of those.

  5:30PM- Husband comes home. Brief makeout session, then back to work.

6:00PM- Take 4th dose of painkillers. Who cares if it hasn't been 4 hours?-I don't. 

7:00PM- Dinner. Discuss husband's work day. Co-workers are still idiots, boss is still a nimrod.

8:00PM- Back to work in studio, then bring some beading and wire work into living room. Work on that while hubby scans Netflix for something smart to watch (I.E. Historical Documentaries).

10:30-11PM-Fall asleep on couch with jewelry and pliers in hand. Husband drags me off to bed by my hair.
 

So this is what a normal day looks like for Dr Brassy. I am easily spending 75% of my time on administrative and marketing work and 25% creating (Doing what I love to do). Plus I am exhausted and running out of pain pills. Keeping up this schedule, 7 days a week is taking it's toll and it's leaving me little energy for "Sexy time" with the hubby, who I love more than Antonio Banderas.

So here is what I propose. After a brief stint in rehab to get off the pain killers, I am going to put an egg timer at the computer (which seems to be a time sucking portal) and when that egg timer goes off, no matter which Youtube Funny Cat Video I am watching....I mean, no matter what I am working on. I will walk away and go into the studio and make things. Beautiful things, steamy, punky, unique, one of a kind-things. And all will be perfect in the world of Dr Brassy as long as someone will toss me an ibuprofen now and then.

~~~Dr Brassy