Thursday, October 9, 2008

The End of an Era

Yesterday I changed my display name on my blog. I am no longer posting as reneedesigns, I am now officially butwhymommy.

Now this may not seem like much of a big deal, my blog name is But Why Mommy, I sign my name as butwhymommy when I comment on other blogs. It is who I am right now. I am butwhymommy because I am a mommy.

But it is strange for me. I started blogging in 2006 under the name reneedesigns. I have an etsy store also called ReneeDesigns. For two years it was how I identified myself. I was a jewelry designer and I my name is Renee. The two when hand in hand.

I had made jewerly for years and wanted it to be my profession. I took classes, I learned new techniques. I sold my jewelry at art and craft fairs, at local boutiques. I was even in stores in California and Minnesota for a time. Reneedesigns represented who I wanted to be.

Of course when you become a mother things fall by the wayside. They have to, its only natural. A child takes up so much of your time. But you also want to spend all of your time with them, to see what they will do next, what new thing will they learn.

As Bunny grew, I spent less and less time making jewerly. Occasionally I would have bursts of creativity and make a bunch of new pieces. But they would sit there waiting for me to photograph them and list them on line. Or waiting to go to the my local store. In fact they are still sitting there, except for occasionally when I pull them out to wear them.

I still get compliments on my work and it still gives me a thrill. Like maybe, just maybe I could do this. But I don't. I've taken all of my pieces out of the local store. I barely have any left in my etsy shop. When things expire, I don't relist them. Its like the store is slowly closing itself.

I might go crazy and list a bunch of things for the holidays or I might not. I don't know. But I am okay with that.

The funny thing is being a mom has made me more creative than ever before. I'm drawing and painting on a daily basis (usually crowded in a little pink plastic chair at a kid sized table). I've been crocheting myself a sweater. I've started (and started and restarted) a little cloche for Bunny to wear this winter. I've bought materials to make Bunny a dress. I've made some designs for a dinosaur t-shirt that are waiting to be made.

I'm having fun and enjoying myself in the artistic process. I feel like a kid again because I am experiencing all of this with my kid.

So I may no longer be reneedesigns. I may be butwhymommy. But my name is still Renee and I still design.

7 comments:

Kate Coveny Hood said...

The truth is - when you leave a corporate job for more than five years, and then want to go back, it's hard. Not impossible - but hard.

But the beauty of having a more creative career path is that it's okay to take different directions. The best path isn't always up. It can meander.

You have a lot going on right now. You have a very precocious little girl who keeps you guessing minute to minute and you are in the process of adopting a second child. I makes sense to put your creative business on the back burner for a while.

The important thing is that you are a creative person and you bring that to your personal life and your family life on a daily basis. It's not like you're stuck in a rut. You are just refocusing.

I personally find you very inspirational. And I love that I've gotten to know you online. If you don't have a new baby at home, let's definitely do the BlogHer thing next summer.

I really love you man - and that's only 50% the bottle of wine I've consumed talking.

-Kate

Anonymous said...

To be honest with you, I really miss you modeling your new jewelry designs. You always came up with unusual but very interesting designs.

I'm sure that you're passing your creativity on to Bunny when you spend time with her doing the projects that you do. Very few parents have the inclination or take the time these days to actually spend quality time with there kids to pass that sort of thing along and you should be commended for doing so.

Maybe your children will use the creativity that you've given them when they grow up to come up with something that's going to affect the world as we know it.

MamaCarter said...

Somehow it is appropriate that I read this entry wearing one of my favorite necklaces...which you made for me! (it's the black svarowski (spelling?) crystal necklace...).

Can't wait to see the dinosaur shirt!

xoxo me

anymommy said...

I think we always evolve and change and motherhood is a huge turning point in your life. It makes sense to me that your creative outlets would shift as you focus on being a mom for a while. Just hold onto the other half of who you are, reneedesigns will come back out when you're ready!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx said...

We are constantly redefining ourselves, and that's isn't necessarily a bad thing. We change, our lives change. You may be ReneeDesigns again one day... or maybe you are still ReneeDesigns today, just in a different way.

Unknown said...

How fun! Being a mommy is the best. :) And it's so neat to meet another Wisconsinite. :) I can just picture you crowded at a tiny little table making fabulous creations. :)

wfbdoglover said...

It is amazing how the little ones can just suck the life right out of you!! But they are worth it!! Good blog!