Pros and Cons of Retiring

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

Hello there pony peeps - I have been contemplating retiring for about a year now.  Don't worry people waiting on ponies - I will absolutely finish your pieces first 

I wanna hear from those of you who have either retired or thought of it - and your reasoning for either a) staying in it or b) getting out of it Any help is appreciated

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

[Tiella]

Well if you don't mind telling, what has made you think about retiring? Are you burnt out? Pursuing other artistic interests?Not making enough money from customs? Knowing might help us to offer insight and advice. I know I periodically go through burn out periods every few months and can offer advice into getting through that.

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

Hey Tiella - never thought about that aspect but sure I don't mind sharing

For me - customs sales helps pay food bills and give us money that we really need. I have another business but things have slowed down to a crawl because of the house buying market here and honestly my heart just isn't in it after my dad passed away (it was originally our business).

I have noticed decreased sales and of course it also takes time away from my fam which if the money was there I (nor my hubby) would mind as much, but it just hasn't been. I don't want to up my prices as they are already on the upper side of the scale. I have thought of lowering prices to get them to sell quickly but between supplies and time - I just won't make any money doing it that way - I still may though.

I still love to do it so much but I hate to make things that do not sell and just gather dust on a shelf and take up space I don't have. I do take commissions but they are always complex and take lots of time to finish - those really aren't an issue, but they do take time from making other ponies to sell.

I do other art as well but again decreased sales are really making me doubt whether I should keep doing it. I personally would love to be a full time artist but not at the expense of starving. I am currently studying for another type of job which is similar to my other business but would be salary and benefits- so I know that I will have to decrease production no matter what when I get that position. But that will be towards the end of the year as the state test is only done a couple times during the year.

Hope that helps - any help is appreciated

[Tiella]

I think sales are low for all artists right now, I know mine are and not just ponies but other things I make and sell as well. The money I make from customs I do not rely on for paying bills or buying food, I would never make enough to be able to rely on it for anything.

I can understand the thought of retiring due to it taking time away from your family and also not making enough money. I would hate to see you sell your supplies off and then be miserable later. What I might suggest is just taking a step back, working on your current commitments and maybe a pony or two that you want to do for fun in your spare time and look at how you feel again in say a couple months. Even if you stop making ponies as a way to pay the bills, maybe you will find that you want to continue but at a slower production rate for pleasure.

I don't think I could give up customizing or creating art in general, it is such a large part of my life. I do get burnt out though a couple times a year and I just step back, wrap up my current commissions and do something else for a few weeks like draw, make jewelry, read some new books, play a new video game or work on sewing for my dolls. Usually in a couple weeks to a month the fog lifts and I get inspired by something and get going again.

[NoDivision]

I think Tiella has some great advice, so I don't have a lot to add. I know there are a lot of people who have taken time away from customs for family or personal reasons, and a lot of them eventually drift back. I think true "retirement" is hard for a lot of people, especially if it's something you love.

If the ponies aren't helping to pay the bills, then maybe you could scale back on projects and also on supplies? To keep your hand in the game you could just make occasional ponies using existing supplies, then you're not putting any additional money into it at least.

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

Those are all great ideas - Thanks so much Tiella and NoDivision

[pop-girl]

I have considered retiring many, many, many times. I enjoy making customs but I have so much more going on in my life that it's hard to keep up. Silly me... I thought I would have more time to myself as my girls got older but it's the complete opposite!

Anyway, I haven't actually retired but I have slowed way down.

[Darkhorse]

I agree with everyone .... Pony customizing should be a source of joy for you, if it's stressing you out there isn't anyone saying that you have to continue.  Just slowing down a bit and finding an alternative source for extra funds will put the joy back into to customizing, no need to retire, we will all miss you too much if you leave.

[Alatariel-Silimaure]

I've slowed way down recently as well, I'm not taking commissions right now, and even when I get inspired for a pony, it usually gets partially finished and then sits on a shelf. Every once in a while I'll get a small spurt of inspiration and sit and work on it for a while, but I've had so much trouble even finishing up my last swap (Saja is still waiting patiently for it... I swear she has patience like no other, I'm months late on getting the poor girl done >.<) I've pretty much decided that after I finish up this last pony I'm going to be taking a step back for a while. I've already stopped buying supplies... if I get inspired I'll work with what I have... if not I won't make anything for a while... and when I do feel the desire again, I'll probably start out with a swap. Right now I hardly make any money at all.. I have so many customs sitting here collecting dust.. they just aren't selling

I'm hoping the Minnesota Pony meet in August will help revive my love and maybe I can sell a few customs, we'll see.

[ViciousJupiter]

Agree with everything thats been said.  Maybe just slow it down or take a short break to get your bearings.  I love all the girls I have from you <3

[Colorscapesart]

Personally, I follow my heart.  Sometimes I am super productive and get a lot done and other times I forgive myself and follow where interests take me.  I always come back to ponies when I am ready.  After my father passed away in January, I didn't work on much at all for months.  As you said, my heart just wasn't in it, or anything else for a while. 

Making money from customs is always a nice upshot, but as mentioned before, it's just not reliable enough and can sometimes suck the joy out.   Take some time for yourself, reconnect.  More of a hiatus than retirement maybe.

[bluemoondreams]

i have to say mine aren't gonig as well eather. So I'm making what I have as commissions and working on others as and when I have time and money. Considering this is my last year of Uni I'm not doing much. But it is dishartning that I seldom make anything out of mine more often than not I make a loss. I like to make ponys but I'm just taking my time now, I finish when I finish as long as it's not a comission I try to get those done swiftly.

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

Thanks so much everyone for your wonderful input - I will take the suggestions and make what I truly want to make - even if it takes me months LOL Hugs to all the awesome pony peeps who understand