This week we interviewed Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of Craftsanity because we knew her many hats and many jobs would feel familiar to many of you. She shared some amazing tips on juggling your family with your business and also explained why we all need to be fearless! We hope you enjoy the interview!
In case people don’t know about you and your amazing business, would you mind sharing what you do?
I’m a woman who sports many hats. As I type I’m wearing my favorite running hat and sitting up in the stands while my children practice with their swim team. When I’m not picking up or dropping off or otherwise waiting like many parents do, I teach journalism and advise the school newspaper at the local community college. And when I’m not doing that, I might be pounding wooden pegs into frame looms to fill CraftSanity Loom orders. And when I’m not working to fill CraftSanity Loom orders, I’m probably interviewing an artist or crafter for CraftSanity Magazine, an independent publication I started in 2010, or the weekly art & craft column I write for the The Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com. I have a very full schedule, but I enjoy what I do so it seems to work for me.
Craftsanity is a truly amazing podcast and over the last 7 years, you’ve interviewed some truly amazing people. Is there someone you’re DYING to interview?
Thank you for your kind description of the podcast. It’s been a labor of love. When I launched it in 2006, I produced weekly shows. Looking back I can’t quite explain how I pulled that off. I was working full-time as a newspaper reporter and raising a newborn and 18-month-old. When my husband suggested that I try doing a craft podcast, I never planned to do a long-term show because I never expected anyone to tune in. But then people started listening and recommending guests and I got hooked. I kept my weekly production schedule as long as I could. But as my daughters have grown (they’re 7 and 8 now) I’ve found that much of my podcasting time has gone to making art with them or getting them to and from the sports and other activities that they participate in. I’m fine with this arrangement because it’s their time now and I want them to have an amazing childhood. So I guess, I’m on a bit of a hiatus at the moment. The podcast has never generated any sort of income for my family, so I can’t make it a priority. But when I’m not podcasting on a regular basis, I do miss it. Thankfully, I have more than 100 shows in the archive to keep listeners occupied. If my podcast was a paying gig, I would be thrilled because interviewing inspiring people is one of my favorite things to do besides writing about them.
What made you decide to go from a podcast to a print magazine? Was it harder than you thought?
I’ve been a determined writer ever since I was a very small child, so launching my own magazine was the realization of a childhood dream. It took some effort to get it going and my husband was very supportive in helping me transform the publication from dream to reality. I wouldn’t say it was any more challenging than I expected. At the time we launched the magazine my husband and I each had more than a decade of print journalism experience under our belts and and I had a lifetime of crafting experience, so it was the right time to do it. The challenge continues to be finding time to do everything I’d like to do. I could use about 8 extra hours a day to do nothing by sleep.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to juggle as many creative endeavors as you?
Take lots of breaks and be careful not to lose yourself in all your self-imposed deadlines. Over the holiday break I pushed my official work aside and launched into a printmaking marathon with my daughters that lasted more than a week. I had other work to do, but I gave myself a chance to make art for the sake of making art with two of my favorite collaborators. We had a blast and I have no regrets about the pile of prints we’ve amassed together. I often have to remind myself to take breaks and just have fun.
Have you ever feared failure or encountered an obstacle you weren’t sure you could overcome? How did you get over that feeling/obstacle?
I don’t fear failure, I embrace it. I try to do a lot of different things and I’ve failed many times. And while failure is not something any of us strive for, I can tell you that I’ve learned a great deal from the situations, plans and ideas that didn’t pan out. I believe you have to be willing to risk failure to achieve your true potential. You have to figure out what doesn’t work to know what does. And how will we find out whether or not we’re good at something if we don’t try it? Be fearless. And if an obstacle gets in your way, find a way around it. When a door closes, try a window.
You can find all of the Craftsanity podcasts and the magazine at Craftsanity.com. While there, be sure to leave a nice note for Jennifer. She really is a wonder woman.
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