When I was still a spring chicken, applying for my very first job, the recruiter told me : “You, young lady, are a bulldozer ! You have to get self employed !”
I was convinced at the time he was dead wrong. I didn’t see myself as a bulldozer at all, but rather as a sugar sweet pushover. 
I totally lacked the self confidence to go out on my own. I had no idea what business I could set up.
And I absolutely wanted to work internationally. I figured working for a corporation was the fastest route to see a bit of the world.

Now, so many years later, the thirst for indepence came back with a vengeance.
I wanted to be my own boss.
And it’s not just about the (negative) drive of not wanting to be an employee any more.
I also positively longed for all that entrepreneurship could bring me. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
What an adventure ! What a way to stretch myself beyond what I thought I could do ! 
With the financial pressure off (good savings, no kids, no car, no mortgages), I decided to finally jump. Sort of.

For the past 18 months, I’ve been part of a cooperative enterprise, that allowed me to test the waters.
Together with a group of other candidate-entrepreneurs, some of whom have become good friends, I learned what it takes to run a small business.
This period of safe incubation had ended now. In January, I’m starting as a self employed artist and freelancer.

I’m truly excited ! There’s no guarantees. It’s a tricky sector I’ve chosen. I might fall flat on my face. Maybe I don’t have what it takes. But I’ll never know unless I give it a real shot. Sofar, I’ve loved every minute of it.

Maybe I turn out to be a bulldozer after all.
But I hope not…

ps The painting has nothing to do with the story this time. But I’m deeply into florals, and this is my latest work.
It’s called “Looks like we made it”