www.thedevilsworkshop.ca

1.What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed? 

I get out of bed around 8:30-9am’ish (depending on how late I was up the night before). First thing, I head straight downstairs to the studio, turn on the coffee and check my email.  My mornings consist of quiet concentration and computer time.  I spend most of my morning tying up loose ends, updating my agenda, returning calls, replying to emails, socializing on msn and updating promotional materials while I drink my coffee.  I then walk the dogs across the street by 11:30 (which means I’ve got to head out soon).  When I get back, I work a bit on my custom jobs, things that need to be worked on by other craftsmen that day so that I can drop them off downtown while running errands. I get back to the shop by 3pm to open up for the day (I don’t get much retail traffic until then, but things change seasonally and so do my hours).  I open up shop, sweep, tidy up from the class the night before and then start working on more commissions or my own jewelry line (if there’s time).  Class comes in at 6pm so I begin to tidy up my mess by 5:30-5:45’ish.  Classes run from 6-9 pm some Mondays and Fridays, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening, and almost every Saturday.  If I have deadlines (as I usually do) I will work on them a bit after the class leaves while my husband cooks us dinner (we eat really late).  Then, I sneak in a bit of TV or a movie and a glass of wine to wind down, and then bed.  Then it starts all over again.
 
2. What was your first job out of school?
I worked all through highschool at my mother’s bead shop in London, Ontario. When I graduated from Sheridan with an Illustration degree I didn’t really know what to do with myself.  I was at a loss so I thought I would get a job kind of in the field, but it really wasn’t.  I worked the late shift, 6-2am at Auto Trader Magazine colour correcting cars for print in Photoshop.  I didn’t stay long at that job, maybe a year.  I had a few other strange and random jobs after that too.
 
3. What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?
– Discipline
– Organization
– Openness to change 
 
4. What do you love most about your career?
I love that I get to exercise my creativity in a different way every day be it designing, filling an unusual custom order, or helping students figure out how to tackle a difficult project; I love problem solving.
 
5. If a woman wanted to get into this business, what are your recommendations of how they should start?
Find something you are really good at and jump in headfirst, don’t think about it, just dive in. I find that many people spend far too much time weighing out the pros and cons, justifying their next move until they talk themselves out of a courageous decision. When fear takes over – nothing gets done (its a bit like waxing).  Follow your instincts and take it as it comes. 
 
6. Do you have any warnings?
Make time for yourself, keep in touch with the world outside. It is easy to become wrapped up in your business.  I am still working on that one.
 
7. If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?
Illustrating, I wouldn’t know where to begin and am not sure if I am talented enough for it, but I would like a go at it for real sometime.