Seeing Things Through A Different Lens

A little while back I was having a conversation with a friend about my graphic arts business.  When I told him that I was now making a few thousand a month he was floored.  He then asked me if I’d fully retire when my business income approached my W2 income. 

I kind of laughed off the question.  For one, even though I’m growing steadily, reaching that level is still a ways off.  But the other reason I chuckled is that I’d never considered it.  And in that moment when I actually did, I thought it was kind of preposterous.

I really love my business.  It’s fun and even though I sell products I don’t have to handle the hassles of inventory or shipping.  I just make designs and the money pours in. 

But what I was laughing at from my friends question was the fleeting thought of telling a stranger I sell goofy t-shirts for a living.  I’ve seen others reach financial independence and put their energies towards philanthropic efforts or charities. 

But me, I make funny cycling designs.  One of my more popular camping shirts is simply entitled “Poop In The Woods“. 

It’s not like I’m solving world hunger or curing disease here.  I’m thriving on silliness and immaturity.  I’ve had a lingering feeling of “I should be doing more” in the back of my brain.  

 

A High Calling

Most of my career has been with the Dept. of Defense, supporting the brave men and women of the U.S. Military.  That’s included deployments to crazy places and lots of foreign aid work for developing countries. 

At its best it’s one of the most meaningful jobs you could possibly have.  I’m helping keep America and her Allies safe, and I remind myself of that often. 

So when it comes to doing meaningful work, my career is a tough act to follow.  And now that I’m not a manager anymore mired in hopeless bureaucracy, I’m once again contributing more directly to the mission.  That’s one of the gifts financial independence gave me – a return to more meaningful work.

While I don’t see my graphic arts business as something that has to match the importance of my career, until recently I’ve considered it just a nice little hobby that provides fun and value.  Knowing someone wants to give up money to buy something I’ve created is really rewarding. 

Rewarding to me of course.  A nice little selfish business.

Then a few weeks ago I got some feedback that got me to see my business through a different lens.

 

Stoked

One of the websites I sell on called Redbubble allows my customers to send a message through their system.  A little while back I got this message.

I had been getting feedback for years from customers but would usually read it and quickly move on. 

Customer: “Love your design!” 

Me: Thanks!  back to work…

That’s the nature of online commerce, it’s mostly faceless and impersonal interactions. 

But I thought about this message and tried to put myself in the customers position.  She’s totally stoked about my design.  So much that she’s buying them to give out, to spread the message of her environmental non-profit.  I went to their site, they’re doing great things. 

This got me stoked.

So I started to go through the messages I’d received and look at them through a different lens.

I quickly saw that I was taking the feedback for granted.  I wasn’t really thinking about what my customers were saying.  That’s an unfortunate part of not actually having interacted with them in person. 

But it’s clear that my business is not just providing rewards to me, my customers are getting tremendous rewards from it. 

Most of my designs are about cycling, climbing, or kayaking, and the beautiful national parks and places where we do these things.  So in reality I’m helping fuel the outdoor activities and passions of thousands upon thousands of people out there. 

If someone takes the time to browse around the web for the perfect Yellowstone National Park sticker, and then finds mine and buys it, there’s meaning in that.  To them and to me at least.

They’re obviously enamored with Yellowstone, and in buying my sticker and putting on their backpack or water bottle I’m fueling their stoke even more.  They want to flaunt their love for the park and display it for all to see.  And they chose my creation to do it. 

It’s not quite the same as helping the military thwart terrorist plots overseas, but it’s meaningful nonetheless.  In a country with a staggering 44% rate of obesity, knowing my designs are fueling people’s excitement to lead a healthy outdoor lifestyle is really really meaningful.

 

A Different Lens

I can be self-deprecating at times.  Apparently that means I have greater levels of psychological well-being.  Call me skeptical, but I’ll take it. 

One of my go-to lines about my business is “I sell ‘I’m with stupid’ t-shirts, with the arrow pointed up..”

In the lens that I used to view it, I saw my business as a creative outlet, fun, and nice extra income.  But overall, I saw it as a whimsical pursuit that while not doing any harm, wasn’t exactly bettering society. 

Now I see it through a different lens.  It’s still fun and all that jazz, but I realize I am indeed contributing to the betterment of society.  I’m helping people express their excitement and enthusiasm for healthy pursuits in beautiful places. 

Hopefully I’m giving them motivation to do more, to push their bodies in the outdoors, and stay healthy.  And of course to enjoy a laugh along the way. 

On your journey to financial independence, be mindful of things that you might need to view through a different lens.