Dear Preston,
You’ve been in this business a long time. How do you stay passionate about your work? I worry that I’ll never be able to stay in this business as long as you have. I like to think I’m passionate, daring and creative, but I get bored easily. My business is highly rewarding, but it’s also extremely demanding. Sometimes, I’m not sure if it’s all worth it.
Look forward to reading your response,
Bored
Dear Bored,
It’s not easy. I think everyone in our industry considers giving up sometimes. I recently had a client who was dissatisfied with my work. So much so that she said working with me was the worst experience she had ever had with a designer. Naturally, I was devastated, and the situation made me question my business. But I sat down, took responsibility for what happened and thought about what I could have done differently. It was a harsh but important learning experience.
In the face of such experiences, it can be very hard to stay passionate and positive. But the wedding and event planning industry is all about creativity; as long as I continue to create, I continue to be passionate. Even with that unhappy client, the event I designed for her turned out beautifully. Maybe things didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked, but I was still creating and I was still passionate about my work for her. And that’s no small thing!
Truthfully, I love the fact that you bore easily, because that tells me you need to be in an environment where you’re always learning something new. Remember, one of the best things about our business is that every event is an opportunity to tackle a new challenge.
So, Bored, go easy on yourself! Try thinking of your work as praying meditation. As long as your work continues to be so rewarding, consider yourself very blessed.
Dear Readers, have you had days when just wanted to give up? What motivates you to keep going? And how do you bounce back from bad experiences with unhappy clients? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
jacin {lovely little details}
August 9, 2011
on those days, i realize i have to take a step away from social media and the internet, and live a little. take a walk, go outside, grab a glass of wine with a loved one. the space away makes me appreciate things much more, and makes me miss it
Harmony
August 9, 2011
Wow.. Thank Bored for sharing you hurt, hurt which is also mine. I have just started out in the industry and I’m not about to give up, but doubt my abilities at times and and want to break down. When that moment comes I remember these encouraging words “Passion is not something I find, it found me and now lives in me. Neither passion or I lead but we work along side each other!” I leave you with those words and always live out side the box, we were born in colour not black and white.
Chris
August 10, 2011
I get bored easy!!! Very very easy, because i think im a little hiperkinetica !!! Jajaja and im an acuarius sign, but im in the creative work of bridal design and i will be in the floral design for events, so i think will be good for me because those two things are diferent but at the same time have the creativity in comun
angie
August 10, 2011
Dear Bored,
Like Harmony, I too am a new comer to the industry. I plan on attending LWPI as soon as my finances allow me. I’ve been waiting a few months and am growing more and more eager to attain my certification. In the meantime,I am on Preston’s blog daily, reading books,and attending bridal shows. My suggestion for you is to explore the endless creative possibilities for the industry. You can also review your past events and come up with innovative solutions to any problems that have occurred. Good Luck!
Kim {Something Spectacular/Something Floral}
August 10, 2011
I frequently feel like that when I’m working with a bride who is afraid to be creative and I’m requested to create the umteenth, round, hand-tied, bridal bouquet like the trendy one in the latest bridal magazine (and that I’ve designed several times for other brides the past few weeks). When you’re a very creative person who bores easily, repetitive work (and repetitive designs) can feel like torture and it’s easy to lose your motivation. Luckily for me, the longest stretches of repetition have only lasted a couple weeks then along comes a bride who is creative, visionary, and understands the importance of customizing her bouquets and arrangements so her wedding flowers don’t look like everyone elses. When that happens, it’s glorious and your passion and motivation come right back as if they had never left started to fade. You’re super energized and ready to go again. When you have those times of low motivation or doubt, it helps to chat with friends who are professionals in your same line of work or industry. When you learn you’re not alone in your feelings and that every person in your creative industry goes through the same thing, it’s easier to get through the low times when you wonder whether or not it’s really worth it.
Angela
August 14, 2011
I cant imagine which client will be unhappy with your work…… Amazing!!! Interesting feedback on this blog. Thanks
Anji Panganiban
August 17, 2011
Preston,
I was moved by your openness about your experience with an “unhappy” client. Not many successful individuals would admit when their work was not appreciated, so it’s an eye-opener for me to discover that even the best of the best can doubt the work that they do.
Anyway, I think your advice was spot-on. What I do is to actively look for inspiration anywhere and everywhere — online, my surroundings, people around me. I look at or do things that make me happy like a favorite book, or baking cupcakes.
Savannah (Pearls and Pages)
August 25, 2011
So happy to hear your opinion on being bored, Preston. I’ve grown up hearing that the reason I’m so easily bored is because I lack creativity. I guess I could see both sides of the coin: but I definitely consider myself to be a creative person but I also suffer boredom. I find that the days of the week I don’t work if I don’t have several things on my to-do/random list I go crazy. Looks like when I’m bored I just need to seek new challenges and learn new things! Get creative and do something fresh!
In terms of wanting to give up it’s definitely challenging when I think of what it would be like, financially, to just let go of owning my own business and setting back out into the corporate world. I know I’d make more money, but would it be as fulfilling? I definitely believe I am someone that can make the most of the situation and enjoy my career, almost regardless of what the job is. I won’t suffer through a job I hate or find meaningless, but I know I could be happy with a corporate career. But I like to think that keeping to my self-starter business, continue growing, and see what happens, is a good route right now. Plus it lets me take time to work on my first novel.
With a full time corporate career I would want to do some of my own business on the side, leaving no room left for writing. 
But it’s tempting to toss in the towel and say hello to corporate again! Oh the woes….
Thanks for the tips and encouragement, Preston. I really appreciate it.
-Savannah