By: Ana Talukder Simpson
I was supposed to be a doctor or an engineer when I grew up. I was supposed to find joy and excitement in studying molecule arrangements or solving a proof. I think I rebelled against my East Indian parents by completely lacking skills in both departments just out of spite. I have always been drawn to the arts – I loved creative writing, each and every art or music class that I took, I daydreamed and created and did it all in a somewhat secret manner because I couldn’t possibly make a realistic career out of any of it. When I was fourteen, I had decided that I would pursue a career in law. That would allow me to major in something fantastic like Philosophy or English and still have that “realistic career” that my parents desperately wanted for me. I ended up majoring in Political Science and Philosophy, took the LSATS, and applied to law school relatively heavy heartedly. I remember the day that I got some acceptance letters, threw them in the trash and decided that I had enough of trying to please someone other than myself. And life began for the first time for me.
I spent the next few years trying to figure out what my “dream” was – I still had to help pay the bills, so I worked in corporate America all the way up until my first child was born. I spent the following two years after his birth completely decorating our new home, remodeling and getting prepared to have a second child. Now I have my two children, a lovely husband, our house is decorated just the way I want, my stint in corporate America was successful but completely unfulfilling and here I was at a time in my life where I had the luxury of putting real thought and motivation behind my creative endeavors.
I started a shop on Etsy somewhat on a whim. I had been selling my pieces here and there for a little over a year and I was working in a new medium and very much in love with the creative process once again. When I opened my Etsy shop in April of this year, I had no idea what to expect. Here it is three months later and I have learned so many invaluable lessons and have a more solid understanding of how my glorified hobby is now a full-fledged small business and I will treat it as such. I could go on and on about the lessons I have learned, but the most important one is that I have found success in my own happiness. I am not the corporate business woman that my parents hoped I would be – or that I even at one point hoped for myself. I have truly become so much more. Success is not the six figure paycheck, or power. It is ultimately judged by happiness. Hope you have found yours.
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