Today I'm pleased to have the lovely Canadian creative powerhouse, Janick Gravel here for our Do What You Love series! Janick is the designer behind Nea, creating jewelry and her iconic wall wear full time and making a living at it too! Let's get a little glimpse into what her daily life is like and see how she manages her busy etsy shop. 
What do you do for a living?
I started making jewelry and selling on Etsy in 2006. At the time, I
was a freelance graphic designer working from home and wanted some
extra money to buy handmade. Then in 2008 I started exploring
embroidery and cross-stitch and launched my Wall Wear collection in
June. The response was so positive and overwhelming! Since then, I've
been doing this as a living!
How long have you been self-employed? What made you decide to take the leap?
I've been self-employed since 2003 for graphic design, but since 2008 for Nea.
Both times, I decided to just go for it and leap into the unknown
almost on a head spin, even with all the risks that it brings. Some
people prefer to plan ahead, I prefer to just jump in and take the
motivation and excitement with me! Then again, I don't have kids or a
mortgage, so it is an easier decision for me than for many people.
Do you work from home or have a studio/office elsewhere?
I work from my apartment in Montreal. Half in the office room for
everything computer related, and half in the living room for making
items. I dream of having everything in the same space, but it's not in
the plans for a while. Maybe someday I'll have a home with a room
dedicated to it all!
Do you have a partner or assistant, or are you going it solo?
Solo as can be! I'm pretty sure I'd have trouble getting an assistant because Nea
is like my baby and I'm very protective of it all, but for now the
issue is not a problem since I've been able to do everything alone. The
only thing I wouldn't mind letting go of is packaging and shipping
items! Ha!
How do you organize your days? At what part of the day are you most productive?
There are some obvious trends and patterns in my days, but I'm not one
to plan everything to the minute. It's just not my style! I usually
make a list of things I absolutely have to do for the next day, so that
keeps me on top of important stuff. A typical day consists of getting
up and immediately checking my emails, sales and a few stats, it is
perfect for me to wake up slowly. Then, I do all the computer stuff and
photography in the morning, and the actual making of items for the
afternoon. Weirdly enough, evenings is my most productive time! But it
got hard to have a life as a couple this way, so I'm slowly getting
used to working on afternoons most of the time.
How do you keep procrastination and distraction in check, and stay motivated to get things done?
This is a hard subject for me! I have a natural inclination towards
procrastination (don't we all a little?) When I do, I am very hard on
myself for it, which doesn't help at all. I try to keep to that list
and check all the things on it, it has been very useful! Sometimes I
am very motivated in my head (with new ideas and wanting to list new
items) but when it comes to doing it, well I don't. That is when
knowing yourself helps: I fall back on evenings where I know I'll get
things done! Taking REAL time off helps a whole bunch too!
How many hours do you put in per day? Do you work on the weekends?
It varies a lot from day to day and from week to week! One day can go
by and I spent half of it in the garden, and the next I'm not even
aware that my boyfriend will be back from his day of work in a few
minutes. I really try hard to take weekends off (but I can't NOT check
my emails everyday, this is impossible) but if my friends and family
are all busy, I'll probably work a little.
How do you handle a non-steady income?
Since 2003, I have learned that I am really able to live from not much
if needed. It doesn't really bother me that much! So when things are
slow, I'll probably work more (unless I take a whole week off to
refresh my mind, which doesn't happen often.) When sales are good, I'll
probably take it more easy. I guess on some level I work well under
pressure! I always see really good months as a way to compensate for
the weaker ones that passed or will show up in the future. I don’t see
it as extra cash, but rather a security blanket.
What do you think is the most difficult part about being your own boss?
Not being hard on my employee, myself! I can be very harsh on myself,
or my schedule, and want to fix it twice as much. I am working on being
more mellow and letting go of bad days instead of focusing on them and
making up for them. Because that kind of pressure never helps me,
basically. I’m working on it!!
And the best part?
No time loss! I don't have a car (or a license for that matter), and
even if I love public transportation, I'm really glad I don't have to
do it everyday! I'm not one to spend hours in front of a mirror
everyday either, so working from home really suits me! But the best of
the best parts: supply shopping is actually work! It cannot get better
than that! Always spending my days alone is hard, but I have found the
handmade community to be really great and interesting! I don't know
what I would do without my Etsy friends!
How do you reward yourself for a job well done and keep yourself from getting too burnt out?
I’m working on this! Recently I found 2 things I really love to do that
does not involve selling afterwards: riding my bike and gardening. So
I’m often out there in my spot at the community garden taking out weeds
and shoveling soil. I also grow flowers, herbs and a few more veggies
on my balcony, so it’s the perfect spot to sit and relax to a Paul
Auster book! I’m also planning on a pottery class in the Fall (I’ve
tried it before in high school and loved it!) I don’t think I’ll sell
what I make pottery wise, because of the shipping hassle for fragile
items, but since I collect handmade pottery, I’ll hopefully grow my
collection myself! :)
Would you say you're making a living doing what you love?
I would really say that! The best part of it is that I can branch out
when needed! I sometimes get bored easily from doing the same things
over and over again, so it’s quite a given to make something new every
week! It keeps it all interesting and fresh! You can always add a new
piece or a new skill to what you do, and I love not having to be stuck
in one single skill for the rest of my life – it can evolve!
What is one nugget of wisdom you can pass on to someone who is
desperately seeking to get out of the 9-5 grind and follow in your
footsteps?
I would say to “test the field” in your free time first. When there is
less pressure on the situation, it’s easier to explore and find your
own style, your niche, your special something that makes your work only
yours. Once you’ve done that and it’s going well enough, just go at it!
I would suggest to not wait until you are 100% prepared and ready –
*some* fear can be a great motivator and push you forward. Also, never
stop improving (your photos, your items, your descriptions, your
profile). Nothing is ever set in stone – you evolve and your buyers
evolve too! Go with the flow! :)
See more from Janick on these sites below:
main :: etsy shop :: blog :: twitter :: flickr
>> you may also like: Do What you Love: An Interview with Alissa Harvey
