Day 1. I’ve gone and done it. Finally, after months (years?) of talking about it, I’m going to start my own business. The idea has been stewing in my brain for a long time. Sometimes, its quiet, like a stone covered in moss, rolling around, bumping into things but never really leaving a mark or making a sound. Other times, its loud, crashing and thrashing and thumping about. In stereo. Its times like that that I can’t concentrate on my “day” job… you know, the one that pays the bills. The one that I was schooled for and have succeeded at and which has allowed me to live a comfortable life in a nice house. The one (if I was silent and listened to my heart) that I really don’t have a passion for.

I’ve always had this conflict (and I’m sure many of you have, too). Do I keep doing what I’m doing just because I’m good at it? Or do I disrupt my life (and that of HandyMan’s) to try something I’m not even sure will survive, let alone thrive? I’ve been looking around for answers. Some bloggers have tackled this question; decor8, design for mankind, and please sir and their readers have given me much food for thought. But it was this old post that really resonated with me. I am already “in the zone” she writes about… opportunities are presenting themselves, key people have confirmed my business idea is a sound one, and there are little “signs” appearing, like markers showing me the path.

Part of the obstacle was my own thinking. I’ve never been able to reconcile my right-brain and left-brain thinking. I’m equal parts creative and practical. I love Excel just as much as I love our mitre saw. I have an MBA in Strategic Management and I’ve written a book about architecture. Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Project both get me excited. I can design a room and I can design a strategic plan. See what I mean? What do you do with that? The problem was I’ve always thought I needed to choose one or the other, and my educational background made that choice very simple. It’s been the corporate life for me for the last 15 years. But then, I had that “A Ha!” moment. Why do I have to choose?

In a world where people are both interior designers and bloggers, writers and artists… a world where people have 2 or 3 jobs to sustain themselves… why can’t I do both? I can. So I am.

Its still in the early stages but my plan will allow me to flex my business mind and surround myself with creative types. But why am I blogging about this when it obviously has nothing to do with renovating or design? Well, they say if you want to make something happen, you need to articulate it – and you folks are the largest audience that will hear me :) As well, if you’re anything like me, you may be reading this blog as a way to feed the need for creativity in your own life. It could be a distraction. It could be something that prompts you to say “oh, I wish I could do that… if I only had the time”. If I have learned anything from my friend Willow, it is that there is no time like the present. So I’m jumping in, taking a dive into the murky waters. Hopefully, I can float.