In our society we tend to measure success by how much we accumulate in tangible things. How much money we have. How big our house is. How expensive our clothing.
It is one measure of success, but it is not the only one.
When I quit my rather well paying job to become a weaver it was quite scary. Would I be able to earn enough money to pay for the mortgage, food, etc? I was fortunate in having a supportive spouse who literally supported me for a few years until I a) learned how to weave then b) learned how to sell what I made.
Being a weaver in the 20th and 21st centuries is not the standard income model. Much of my learning was on how to best manage my finances. How to get the money coming in, and how to manage it going out.
Eventually we had only the income from the studio - for nine years. Then it was back to working elsewhere for Doug while I figured out how to adjust to the changes in the marketplace and work on developing other income streams.
Society is so far removed from people doing the 'traditional' crafts as their profession that I had ladies stroll by my craft fair booth, exclaiming "Oh, you're still weaving! Well, I guess it keeps you busy." Then strolling on.
I had to smile (wanly) and agree that yes, indeed, it kept me 'busy'. They had no clue, none whatsoever.
Eventually I developed the teaching and writing side of my business to the point that, after publishing Magic in the Water, I was away from home more than I was at home in 2004. I still call that my coast, to coast, to coast year. I started the year on Salt Spring Island, taught in Louisiana, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton - and many points in between.
My personal approach to 'success' has not been on the size of my bank balance, but if I could pay the bills that month. Could I fill the van with gas? Could I pay my VISA bill off? Could I buy a new bra?
One day my mother-in-law came for a visit just as we were going out to meet my mother for lunch. About once a week mom would invite us out and buy us lunch. (She also loaned me her car - frequently.) When MIL and I were in the van going back to the house she commented that she wished she was rich like I was. Pardon? Well, you own your own business so you're rich.
I burst out laughing and told her that - at the time - we were living below the poverty line.
"Well (so and so) told me you're rich because you own your own business."
I pointed out that in case she hadn't noticed it was my mother who had picked up the bill for lunch including hers.
I told her that if you considered 'rich' being that I could take a couple of hours off work to have lunch with family, then yes, I was rich. If you counted the fact that I was doing work that I loved, then yes, I was rich. But if she counted 'rich' as having pots of money, then no, I most definitely was not rich.
At a party one evening, I listened while two guys lamented how much they had to pay in taxes and all the tax 'dodges' they were utilizing to reduce their tax 'burden'. I finally got fed up and told them that I lived for the day I made enough money that I would have to pay taxes. And walked away.
Paying taxes means that you have gone some way towards meeting society's definition of 'success' - you have earned enough so that you are no longer scraping by below the poverty line but are earning enough to contribute to society by way of your taxes.
So am I 'poor'? Not really. I don't have as much money in the bank as if I'd stayed in a more secure profession. I've not had holidays to exotic places, nor do I have a fancy wardrobe. But I don't have debt, my mortgage was paid off as soon as we could possible manage it. I pay my taxes when I earn enough money to qualify. I want for little in terms of material goods.
So am I 'rich'? I would say that I am. I have lived a lifetime of being creative, working in a field that has given me much satisfaction when things go right, and taught me even more when it didn't. I have been self-sufficient. I have even, whenever possible, helped others.
My wealth may not be quantifiable. But that doesn't make it any less valuable to me.
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5 comments:
I'm looking at a mirror! You just so reflect my last 42 years. What kept us afloat was the realisation that you could only weave one piece at a time but could teach more than one person. I don't believe we have ever reached the salaries we left behind in London and I would be so delighted to pay income tax. However mortgage paid off, three children raised and a life led in our own way, no wage slave. Now sliding into dropping production and just weaving tapestry for myself. A tiny pension has given the most amazing cash flow boost. A regular income that doesn't peak or vanish!
Exactly. There is more than one way to measure ‘wealth’.
Love your response to the guys trying to avoid taxes! If the wealthy would actually contribute their fair share there would be a lot less people sleeping on the streets. And you are totally correct that being rich has many meanings. Wishing you and Doug all the best of the Holidays and a Happy New Year, Laura!
When measuring success, don't forget "widely respected in your chosen field" and "have made important and lasting contributions to your chosen field." The"lasting" part is yet to be seen, I suppose, but given the number of people you've taught, and the number of people they have taught in turn, it's pretty clear that your work will echo down the years for a very long time to come.
Thank you for all you've done.
May the new year bring you all good things!
That is not a mantle I choose for myself. It can only be given by others. :)
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