Goals 60 y 67-- find balance with possessions, learn calligraphy

I tend to do my best creative work when I have tons of supplies at hand and can make a big mess and let my subconscious fit things together. This, in combination with my small tendency to hoard, is a big enabler when I'm staring down some pretty paper at the craft store.

"I don't really need this paper for anything in particular, but something will come up...I'm sure of it!"

Two years later, I have stacks and stacks of paper, and scrap-booking paper and glues, and punches and eyelets and paper cutters and pens and markers and everything your little non-electronic crafting heart could desire.

Time for some projects to materialize so this pile can go down and I will come one step closer to finding balance with my possessions. Reeling on the insights of Three Signs of a Miserable Job I made the conscious decision to do everything in my power to make my job a loveable and loved job. How do these topics fit together? Read on after the break.

One of the signs the book talks about is anonymity, being or feeling unknown. "No one [in the company] outside of my store knows who I am, I don't even know how many people work for the company I work for!"  I thought to myself. Then the idea came like a quick spark, to give everyone in my craft store company a little surprise with a little present they can keep and show off.


Step one: get 1" pins made. I figured a qty of 80 would be plenty for my company with 9 stores and a support office. I sent the print out "I <3 paper" strips to my personal button maker in Michigan.

Step two: get the names of everyone in the company. I asked my manager and he asked out support office and soon there after I had a list so I could individually address the outside of the cards.

Step three: make all 76 of the little enclosure cards.  It took a few iterations to land upon a little present that still feels like a little treasure when you take the 1" pin away. How can you not love seeing your name written so pretty and hearing someone hopes for something spectacular to happen for you!? Wanting each person to get a unique combination amongst their store, I came up with 9 variations of card to compliment the 5 different colors of buttons. The scrap-booking paper I used for the tags made this part easy because many are double sided, automatically two options!

Step four: calligraphy from rachel... on the back, I hope something spectacular happens today on the inside and each name on the outside and seal up with a Cavallini Ephemera sticker.

At the end when I had all those little trinkets piled up on my desk my heart was just so full of wonder and delight. It seems kind of silly to get so worked up over such a little thing, yet for at least one moment, everyone in the company knew who I was, and they all felt special.

Cheers, R