When what you wanted takes over... Part 3

So my wife and I met. While we were dating, I began working as a photographer for our little local entertainment/lifestyle rag. I was horrible at going out and getting "the shot". I am not well-suited for journalism or service photography at all really.

The mag ran an ad for a Graphic Designer. Now I would like to tell you that I saw the ad and said, "Hey! That's my major! I should march right down to the magazine's office and declare, "Stop the presses! I've found you a Graphic Designer!" Okay, maybe not that part about stop the presses. That's a bit cheesy, but suffice it to say that an ad in the publication from which I was getting $10 a picture (average 2 pics a week) for a job that might mean I'd get to use the degree I spent 4 1/2 years earning and would mean a steady, though not all that decent paycheck, had absolutely no effect on me.

Fortunately, my wife noticed that I was a Graphic Designer and reminded me of the fact. So, I applied for the job, and got it. Then when I went to our local hospital to shoot photos for an article on the Candystripers program there, and the head of the Public Relations Department asked if I knew any Graphic Designers looking for a job, I again drew a blank.

My wife, fortunately, did not and whispered, for lack of a better phrase, "That's you, dude." Thus began the pattern of opportunities going unrecognized by me, to be followed by my wife pointing out the obvious. She has done it again and again. And every time an opportunity has run it's course, she has been the one to listen to my discontent, and the one to nudge me towards finally moving on to the next better opportunity. She is the one who found Etsy for me.

In true fashion, I ignored that opportunity for several months before finally opening up shop. Once I opened up a shop, I listed only occasionally until it became apparent to me that frequent listing would improve my sales. By this time, my wife had become my sounding board for my artistic and career endeavors. She had spent the previous year watching me chase that one thing that was gonna get me out of Broadcast Design and into whatever was next – CafePress, Imagekind, etc. and listening to me talk about the potential for those endeavors. None of those really took off and were abandoned or were put on hold once the great return never materialized. Despite feelings of "Here we go again," she has supported me each time, and I dare say that is probably better than I could have done.

Now she keeps me on top of all things Etsy, and is far superior to me on deciding what to list and when. So she is in charge of that stuff. And I just make with the art and the shipping all day long.

Next: 5 months that would change our world