“Spring drew on…and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” ― Jane Eyre
What is it about those few extra sunlit hours that infuse us with fresh energy? We put away the heavy sweaters, pull out the comfiest sandals, and sit at the hairdressers for a fresh cut. It’s like coming out of hibernation when you didn’t realize you holed up in a cave.
March feels like everything might be alright. In my journal, I made a note to myself about April showers. Something about starting things now that will bloom later.
When I planned for the month, I expected March to be uneventful. This was by design. My kid was scheduled for spring break and easter break — already cutting into my working hours. So, I decided to embrace these times for mini-vacations with my son.
I decided to use any non-billable hours to do a little administrative and creative spring cleaning.
Housekeeping
I’ve had several sales materials for The Shop Shop on my list for months like new business cards, rate sheets and inquiry emails. I finally sent those off to print or published on my site.
For example, I created a printer-friendly rate sheet of my flat rate services. It’s the kind of thing that often interests prospective clients because they want to get an idea of my packages and prices.
I’ve also been cleaning out my digital files and consolidating them. A dull task in theory but, it’s also been a walk down memory lane. Hopefully, I’ll be able to save a little on storage fees once I’m done.
A Pollinator Garden
In an effort to give myself some non-work inspiration, I decided to turn my front flower beds into a pollinator garden. I already have a butterfly bush on each side of my front porch. Now, I want to surround the recently pruned bushes with native plants for the bees, butterflies, bats, and birds.
I like the idea of attracting these creatures and feeding them. In turn, I hope I’ll be able to snap photos of them, feeding me inspiration.
My plant research already has me sketching. I’ve been incubating an idea for a collection and this spring, I hope to put marker to paper.
Looking to April
With this new moon energy, I’m excited to build some new business opportunities. I’ve held back at the beginning of the year but now, I’m ready to grow again. A few businesses have caught my eye and made it onto my pitch list.
I’m also cleaning up my email subscriber list and setting The Shop Shop up for a spring giveaway.
Is there a perfect word for a little bit of change while staying on the same path? Maybe it’s April.