A few ?? For the full timers

[jethro]

I am going full time by the end of the month and am worried a little about getting burnt out making the same thing 40 times a day every day.

I really love making pendants, marbles, anything where I am able to be creative. But So far the bulk of the money I have seen has come from inexpensive pipes. And I have already figured out that that gets old quick. (far better than my current situation though)

I plan on trying etsy and the-bay to sell my pendants and whatever else I come up with even though I hate the idea of paying out money if nothing sells. Any advise on this?

Do any of you have issues with shops if you decide to stop making a certain pipe for a while and offer something else at similar cost?

How do you break up your days to keep things interesting?

I'm thinking probably for now at least 20-30 hours a week will be spoons, so is it better to knock them all out in a few days and just have fun the rest of the week making whatever? Or just work till I get bored and switch to something else? (afraid if I do that I might not get back to the pipes that day)

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated just kinda getting a little nervous at the last moment ya know?

[gotglass?]

break it up a little you know 1 or 2 pendants every 3-5 pipes... when i make a multi section piece i end up making a spoon or something else when the piece is garaged between steps

[HOSS]

I wish i had some easy answers for you but with a lot of this stuff, so much is going to depend on your own personal preferences there's really no choice but to figure out for yourself what works best for you. Everyone is going to have their own particular style that suits them best, and without knowing you personally its very hard to guess what yours will be. The best advice I can give is to start out with whatever makes the most sense and feels the most natural to you, but be willing to make changes if something isn't working.

I've found that for me it helps to have a fairly rigid schedule, so many hours a day with the first half being basic bread and butter prodo and the second half being more for things I enjoy or learn from but may not make much (if anything) on. I usually don't work for more than an hour at a time, frequent breaks help keep me from getting bored. I prefer a 6 or 7 day work week, with fewer hours per day, rather than working more hours in less days and having weekends off. But you might be totally different, just try to consider figuring this stuff out as part of the fun. :)

And congrats on taking the plunge! Good luck!

[lucidvisions]

I would strongly advise Milon Townsend's book on business and marketing, we mostly followed it to the letter and it will work as long as you can keep the drive alive. Push hard through the slow times to try out new work, set your work apart from the others and figure out a new way of looking at the products you already make that compare to other artists work. Keep selling pipes in an amount that won't drive you crazy to supplement your income from the craft pieces. Getting into consignment galleries at first, it's a great way to start out exposing yourself and your work. If you have the cash, try wholesalecrafts.com and set up an account. $400 a year and exposure to thousands of retailers all across the US. Ours paid for itself the first year in four months and got us like eight galleries. If your selling retail on the net and planning to do wholesale also, be sure and at least mark up your pieces 250% from wholesale price as not to affend any cashpaying galleries. I know I threw a bunch out there and there's so much more you can do, but that was basically the beginning to our success. I'll restate also that Milon's book is a necessity.

Josh

[3 rip min]

I am going full time by the end of the month and am worried a little about getting burnt out making the same thing 40 times a day every day.

I really love making pendants, marbles, anything where I am able to be creative. But So far the bulk of the money I have seen has come from inexpensive pipes. And I have already figured out that that gets old quick. (far better than my current situation though)

I plan on trying etsy and the-bay to sell my pendants and whatever else I come up with even though I hate the idea of paying out money if nothing sells. Any advise on this?

Do any of you have issues with shops if you decide to stop making a certain pipe for a while and offer something else at similar cost?

How do you break up your days to keep things interesting?

I'm thinking probably for now at least 20-30 hours a week will be spoons, so is it better to knock them all out in a few days and just have fun the rest of the week making whatever? Or just work till I get bored and switch to something else? (afraid if I do that I might not get back to the pipes that day)

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated just kinda getting a little nervous at the last moment ya know?

if you can sell everything you make with no problem, i wouldnt worry about shit.. as long as you like how much youre getting paid for your stuff, it wont be a problem making it.. like, right now im not digging on making stuff for my distributor because i make alot less an hour.. you have to do it though..

if money isnt a big problem then it might be about the best job ever!! you cant beat working for yourself!!

[mer]

none of us make prodo because it's fulfilling. after you've made hundreds or thousands of a particular line you don't even think about glass while your doing it anymore. you can watch t.v. or listen to music or books on tape. prodo is all about keeping yourself near your torch while you make enough money to afford to take on the glass projects that you want. like many things in life it's a means to an end. as boring as it gets it still beats the hell out of "real" jobs.

this would be my only warning/advice. don't let prodo become the only glass you make. spend some time every day working on something that you enjoy or something that builds your skill. also, take plenty of breaks but be rigorous about not letting them get too long. the breaks are kind to your body, really long periods of time in the same position will eventually do damage to your muscles/tendons.

this board is great for short work breaks.

[JANKYglass]

drop your little fantasy about having "fun"

[The Bigles]

When doing prodo count down, not up. I've found that if I start a run with the idea of seeing how many i can do I get satisfied with the number too early. If I start the day by deciding how many I'm going to make then I often make that amount and possibly more.

You'll often get annoyed toward the end but telling yourself that "I only have four left to do" works better than saying, "Let's see how many more I can do."

[$$$$$$$]

Sounds like a good method rigles... too bad when you open up the kiln the next day, all your bats have holes the size of a pencil eraser..

[amezcuaglass]

I am constantly looking for ways to speed up my process so that I don't spend as long doing the prodo. Economy of motion is my friend. Hardcore music gets me pumped up too. Prodo time seems to go kinda fast for me. Be a machine, its prodo work. I strongly agree with the others though, don't get stuck in it and mix it up alot!

Good luck!

[Lurch]

Try to expand your prodo line as soon as you can. Yes it sucks to have to make 50 of the same piece every week, but if you have say 15 or 20 different pieces you are doing in bulk, then you can switch up which piece you are making so your day doesn't get too monotonous. I try to do 10 - 15 of a particular piece and then switch to another so my day doesn't get boring and I still get my orders filled.

[HaulAss]

"as boring as it gets it still beats the hell out of "real" jobs."

Werd.. it will almost for sure beat whatever you make doing any normal job..

[superstupid]

"as boring as it gets it still beats the hell out of "real" jobs."

Werd.. it will almost for sure beat whatever you make doing any normal job..

bullshit!!! you ever make felt washers, by the 10,000?.... had to change my boxers.

[skip]

ahh stupid what are you talking about?

[nickglassdood]

i dont know some real jobs rock my buddies wife is a senior level exec at some solar power co she makes 83000 a year and full bennies... theres only a few glassworkers who hit that id say

[jethro]

Thanks everyone great tips, making me feel a little better.

I know nobody does prodo for fun...but thats where the money comes from to continue with the rest. Hell any "job" has parts that suck.

I'll pick up that book from Milon I have the "how to make a living without making pipes" book and his newsletters are cool so I'm sure ill get something out of this book too.

Mer- This place is no good for "short breaks" every time I come on here I find some little bit of information that sets me off looking for more info and before I know it I have been sitting here a few hours reading.

Man I "quit" my job over 3 months ago but promised I would stay and train my replacement....3 have quit so far, the one is working out now and I saw my hours get cut to 2 days yesterday unexpected.

I was kinda having an o-shit get it togeather day. Thanks for helping me out with my little anxiety attack.

[Conchis]

Jethro,

Good luck, I keep teetering fearfully on the edge of the same situation myself. I only work at this about 1/2 time now, but my real job is going to come to a conclusion but like yours at some unexpected drop of the hat. You might think about working to build up an inventory and establishing contacts while you are eligible for unemployment insurance. That's sort of my fall back plan. That way there is a bit more marketing that leads the way so that I have places lined up to take my work. Just a thought.

[lava flow]

As far as making prodo "fun," for me it is all about switching up your styles.

Wrap and rake, ISO fume, and ISO frit are some of my favorite, fast coloring styles.

Develop at least three coloring styles you can bust super fast, so that you're not just melting rakes all day long.

From there, change up your shapes- I personally don't like to make even one of the same thing in a row, much less fifteen of them.

spoons, chillums, bats, sherlocks, hammers, sidecars, etc. hook yourself up and have fun with the shaping. you might wind up with a few less spoons every day, but it will take you a lot longer to get burned out, and your case is more interesting to shops. Stay up on what your wholesalers are selling more of and push yourself to become "their chillum guy" or whatever.

Remember to stretch your arms and wrists!

Keep your hand-to-hand rep up, personal custom orders are the most satisfying to make and you can get the most money for them.

Plus as soon as possible do Milon's math- figure out what it costs to run your studio per year, then figure it daily- that figure is your bare minimum for daily production, everything beyond is profit... don't forget to include gas to and from yer studio and food you eat on the job...

Also, go to AGI and become the world's next great gobbleteer :)

[Lurch]

Keep your hand-to-hand rep up, personal custom orders are the most satisfying to make and you can get the most money for them.




Word!

[Merlin]

I always make the least per hour when I do custom orders. I guess I am just too nice.

Bit the bullet and sit down and work for 6-8 hours. watch tv, listen to audio books, radio, music. I suggest reality tv shows or WWF, anything to keep your mind occupied. The last thing you want to do is pay attention to the mass of molten glass that could potentially burn you. drink lots and lots of coffee. Set a dollar amount for the day when you enter the shop and allow yourself no bathroom breaks until you reach it. you will be just fine.

[superstupid]

ahh stupid what are you talking about?

stupid stuff?

[J Howard]

i survive boredom by making my prodo serve my needs not others... otherwise this will turn into a job

use prodo to learn things. if you're always learning, you'll keep having fun. schedule a run of something that lets you dial in a specific skill. whether its fully getting a handle on certain colors, shaping, or some technique; if you're always evolving your line, it never gets old. by doing things in large planned out runs, you truly get the muscle memory for building skills. plus, you can do some cool color experiments that may not be the most economical for prodo, but might be the research for a more artistic project on the side. (one day those start selling and the real fun begins).

when i made pipes, i might make all the onies i'd need for a month or 2 first. by the time you're half way through, you're working as efficiently as you can, the next half is better and faster. if you decide to do enough, you won't be coming back for a long time. by the time you do, it's not so bad. next, i'd do a run of something totally different- preferably non pipe. be able to do everything

schedule in time to dream up new product lines. keep sketches around till they die or get made

[michaelangeloglass]

Glass making is a job when it is your entire income, and the more orders you have the better you will sleep @ night:o)

Thats the deal homeslice.

Now......Get Orders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace out

p.s. who's a full timer on here any how, I thought we were concidered lifers.. lol

[Lurch]

p.s. who's a full timer on here any how, I thought we were concidered lifers.. lol


Yep Yep!

[Mac Maestro]

I do the same thing all day. Then the next day, do something totaly different.

This is done to avoid the dreaded stall where you are sitting at your bench like "What do I want to make next?" (those add up) Plus you get faster as the day progresses. Just seems to be most efficient. If you have enough products, you can not return to what you made today for another couple weeks.

Also a good attitude when running your own biz is essential IMHO. You may want to hate on the production you are doing and wish you weren't doing it. OR you can actually take a second and appreciate a moment at the torch and tell yourself you are doing what you want to do. You worked hard to be able to do this 'production.' I know I may be wandering into self help book territory here, but I can take a moment, appreciate my shop and my glass to the point where I get a wave of happiness and contentment. Even in the middle of production. The morale is boosted and Im actually having fun in the shop like you did when you first started and this was all so exciting. Remember that??

[lava flow]

nice post, I personally get so caught up in progression and never thinking my work is good enough that I need to be reminded from time to time how hard I've worked to get where I am and also how lucky I've been.

I had a friend in the studio the other day while I was fixing a crack and I said, "I'm a horrible glassblower." And she said, "what the hell are you talking about."

I needed that...

[jethro]

Maestro,Cravyn, Man you guys hit the nail right on the head.

When i get in the "I need money" mode it all gets boring and repetitive. I guess I just need to find ways to keep that part fresh instead of switching to something else.

So far sales for pipes have been no issue for me, Every store I have walked into has bought whatever I have as far as pipes go. I figure that will run out once I'm full time and producing more. But there is tons of territory I havent touched yet because I can't keep up with what I already have to do.

If I can find places to sell other things I'll be all good. It just seems I cant get what I want wholesale on anything else. And I am not all that much of a people person to make hand to hand sales work well.

But no worries I might not get what I want but I always have what I need.

And thanks to everyone again, This place is awesome

[J Howard]

one more thing....

don't be afraid to drop a line entirely. if you're any good, you'll eventually sell everything you make, and pretty easily too. if it's getting easy, make it hard again. stop making onies or pedants (or whatever you keep doing ad infinitum) even though you have 2K in orders for them (finish the order and skip the next one). i stopped making pipes (for a while) because they took up too much time to try anything else. i'd send in the order and get another order for more. it's becomes the post office... the mail does not stop, only you decide what you want to deliver.. bring a new line to a wholesale show, and start from scratch.... you could always go back to onies right?

[HOSS]

Lots of good ideas here, one other thing I'd suggest is trying to get in the habit of keeping a notepad near your station and jotting down each time you start or stop work, and what you made. This is probably too much trouble for a lot of people, but its the only way to really know what your production rate for various pieces is, how many hours your oxy and propane last, whether you're really working as many hours as you think, what you really make per hour, week, etc. I think the info you can get from doing this is well worth the few seconds it takes to note the time.