Thursday, April 21, 2011

When I grow up...

In getting ready for Quilt Market I've been very introspective lately.  I'm my own toughest critic as many of us are.  Seeing my patterns do so well in just a month & getting all the amazing comments and e-mails from you has been more than I could have ever imagined.

*Note - The photos here have nothing to do with the text... they are just fun to look at & I don't like to do a post without photos.

sneak peek!

When I grow up?... What about if I grow up?  I know every word to the toys-r-us song that played over & over during my childhood.  "I don't want to grow up, I'm a toys-r-s kid..."  Part of me is still growing up while a part of me is a bill paying, detail oriented, list writing grown up. :-)

my new pillow from Jessica Levitt

I was asked what did I want to be when I grow up many times.  Here are a few responses that I remember.
1. When I was 5 I answered "An artist."
2. By 10 I decided I was going to be a construction worker & was obsessed with watching fix-it shows on TV.  My favorite place to go was to the hardware store and walk the aisles of lumber & supplies.
3. High school came & I was still saying I wanted to be a construction worker.  My parents encouraged me to take architecture classes so that I'd learn as much as possible about construction. {I really think they just wanted to either scare me off or turn me into an architect.}
4. At 15 during sophomore year in HS I took a graphic design course & decided I'd be a graphic designer.  Nothing changed for the rest of HS and I filled all my open elective time with graphics, web, art, ceramics & art history courses.
5. I started college at 18 as a Graphic Design major.  I knew by 21 this might not be what I wanted to do after all and had one of those "sit down" life chats with my parents.  I transferred into a more general design major and finished out my undergrad education with lots of art courses & a plan of becoming a teacher.
6. At 22 I began a masters program to earn my teaching degree.  I focused in elementary education with the plan of getting certified to teach.  I finished the program but I've never taught K-12.

I graduated and life happened.  My first job had nothing to do with teaching or design.  My second job brought the design part back & I was much happier for it.  Now here I am at 28 making a full circle.

a pile that needs binding
What am I today?
I'm an artist {my 5 year old self is happy}
I construct {my 10 year old self is happy}
I'm an architect of my own path {my 14 year old self is happy}
I'm a graphic designer {my 15 year old self is happy}
I'm a teacher {my 22 year old self is happy}
I'm a quilter, I'm happy.

a peek inside my shipping department


{less than 3 weeks till market!!}
Sorry for the slow down in blog posts... but i have lots of sewing, writing, designing, editing, shipping & planning to do.  Thank you for understanding!




© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

30 comments:

Dee said...

Rock on girlfriend - definitely a woman in charge of her destiny - love reading about the journey.

harleywife57/ Mickey White said...

YAY FOR JULIE !!!! don't ap0logize for not blogging much lately ! you have too many good things to tend to going on right now ; we will be here when things quiet down for you !!! I am 53 , retired after working 32.5 years at a job I didn't really care for , but I 'had to' ; I still do not know what I want to do if I grow up !!! YOU are young and doing what you want to AND your are successful at it --HOW GREAT !!!

mascanlon said...

it is so important to know our stories and enjoy the journey. All to often people think "oh I'll be happy when..." But oh so fun to hear about your road trip!

Melody said...

Good for you Julie! I've had several careers and started nursing school 15 years ago at 39. I laugh that even at 35 if anyone had told me I'd be a nurse when I grew up I'd have laughed my ass off. Course most of the nurses I work with are young enough to be my kids and they will all tell you I'm not grown up yet. I'm sure your blog has opened doors for you and I love being able to read and follow your journey. Good luck at Market

bethanndodd said...

Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones...keep up the great work! And, sit back for a minute to enjoy all you have accomplished...you deserve a little compliment from yourself :)

Nicole Morris said...

Great insight Julie! I love it when life circles around like that! It means, you are right where you should be. Best to you at Market!

Sunnybec said...

Good for you! I am glad you are happy, and you don't have to grow up if you don't want to.... there is a child in all of us.

The Rx quilter said...

Thank you for sharing that...I am in my early 40's and although I have been a pharmacist for 20 years I am not sure this is really what my passion is....on my blog I have a statement that I want to be a full-time quilter when I grow up...congrats to you that you have this before you are 30! Keep up your passion, you are doing a fab job. Lisa in Texas

rubyslipperz1052 said...

this is a VERY cool post...VERY fun to read!! Love your quilts TOO!

hugZ,
annie
rubyslipperz106.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much Julie for sharing your journey. What a blessing to be living your dreams.

Greta said...

What a lovely, thoughtful post. I think I like your folks a lot. I'm so glad they support you and your work. I'm sure they are pleased as punch with your success.

dolores said...

Hey kiddo...I'm proud of you!:) Yeah for 5 year old dreams!!

Have fun at market....I'll have to tell my boss to go look you up!
xo

Sinta Renee said...

I LOVE this post Julie! That is so perfect it makes me cry! Seriously. All the things have come together and meshed perfectly.
You are exactly who you are suppose to be! And sweet too:)

Cathy said...

I like to think that we never "grow up" and become something...we are always becoming something new and different, always growing. And most people that are older than 70 or 80 or more that I talk to say they still feel like the same young person that they felt like in their late teens and 20s. The body may get old, but the spirit doesn't!

Kristie said...

A lovely post. Sometimes we know ourselves best at ages 5, 10, etc....we are our purest selves, not so cluttered by expectations and so on. Glad all of the "yous" are happy! Quilt on!

Cindra said...

Congratulations on what you have accomplished! My guess is you're not done yet! You probably have a few more careers and hats to wear. They will probably all involve the creative process.

Kim said...

Life is a constant journey of learning about ourselves, growing, changing, learning......it never ends. It is wonderful when you come to a happy spot and experience success. Happy sewing, I wish you continued success Julie.

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

Thats how you know you are headed in the right direction...all that happy :)

I like what Dee said, "Rock On"

Smiles,
Kelly

Pat V. said...

What a great world view you have. You have inspired me to take some time and look at where I am and where I thought I'd be...my only problem is I can't really remember much...lol

Esch House Quilts said...

Thank you for sharing some of your journey! Congratulations for figuring out what you should be doing while you are still so young :)

Glenna @ Hollyhock Quilts said...

Very insightful. Good for you!!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Good for you Julie....It is so grat to be doing what you like; very few get to say that. Congrats to you!!! you deserve it..Do you have any of your patterns in Canada? Very nice that they are doing so well for you

Sandy said...

A great post and some of us got to know you a little better...thank you!

Unknown said...

Your journey sounds so much like mine in many ways. At age 8 I wanted to be a carpenter and loved the lumber yard-- I still do.
I thought I was the only little girl who had that dream! I also intended to become a teacher- and at some point thought I wanted to go into advertising marketing. Guess what they all came true for me too! Love that you shared it my kindred spirit!

Jan said...

What a great post!!! I love how everything you've ever wanted to be is everything you are, but there's still room for more! I reflect back on the 'goals' I had, too! Olympic sprinter, zoologist, artist, phys ed teacher... all of these aspects are part of my everyday life in one way or another. Good luck with your QM prep!! You are gonna rock the house!

Betz White said...

I'm so happy to hear that your patterns are doing so well. Yippee!

I love this post. Recently my kids have been asking what I wanted to be when I grew up. It's fun to look back and think about.

Erin said...

What a great post! You really got me thinking about my journey. There may not always be a direct link between my past dreams and past jobs, but I at least learned something from them that made me what I am today. Life is good!

Grace said...

Great outlook Julie! It probably wouldn't hurt the rest of us to take a step back and think about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I always told my parents that I would be a "flower arranger" (aka florist). I deviated from that path a lot along the way, but I too have come full circle back to my 6 year old dreams :) Isn't life funny? Maybe we should listen to ourselves as kids more often.

Rachel said...

such an uplifting list of all your various happy selves!

Ann Kelle said...

Love your story Julie! So inspiring:) Can't wait to meet you at the quilt market!