My sons' school's art teacher (grades pre-K thru 8th) quit at the end of the year. I mentioned to the principal I might be interested and I would call her. She said great, did not need to be certified (although I do have an art degree and am 1 semester away from a teaching degree as well - which I will never finish )

So I kept putting it off - I was just too afraid. So I finally called today and the position is filled It would have been perfect, once again I let something great pass me by because i was too afraid of failing.

I am so bummed I let myself do this again. I am also too afraid to try to do too much with my cakes because, again, I am so scared of the business side of it, expenses, taxes, keeping track of true profit (if any). I just don't know HOW to do it and I am so afraid to really try.

I am in the process of having my kitchen approved so that whatever business I do bring in is legit, and I can legally bake from home here in MA, but I am so afraid to really make a "real" business out of it. And I really will have to have some kind of real job soon. My parent's company that I have been working for for the past 12 years is in the process of closing. We will be fine with being out of work for awhile, but I know it can't stay that way.

Why why WHY did I screw this one up? It really could have been the perfect thing - only 3 1/2 days a week, school hours, with plenty of time left for caking. What a dope I am.

Thanks for letting me vent - I blew a great opportunity so now I just have to let it go.

I don't get it...

you -- afraid to fail?

you oh creator of such marvelous cakes?

you of beer bottle cake fame?

and mighty duck?

----

oh -- come now ---

you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO talented!

and have absolutely nothing to fear

(well maybe rouge asteroids, hemorrhoids, and mad hedgehogs!)

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oh and re: teaching positions -- yep, the ones in the arts are few and far between w/ a surfeit of potential candidates --- now if you did math or science, it would be the opposite way around (and it looks like a shortage of English teachers is looming too)

Laura, Stop being so hard on yourself. You are an amazing decorator. I am from Mass. too! I know there is a need of good decorators here and with your talent you should't even think twice about jumping in

From someone who is 4 classes away from finsihing up my Batchelors degree in something that I no longer need now that I have become a shop owner, please finsih your degree, you need to do this for your self. I am struggling so badly with this and I hate every minitue of it and consider it a great big waste of time and money but you are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo close, if you think about it, truly it is silly not to finsh it. As my Hubby says everytime we argue about it, "if you are going to have student loans to pay back you had damn well better have something to show for it"
boy do I hate admitting that he is right

I don't mean any offense, but maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I just looked at your photos and you are SO TALENTED! Perhaps it's time for you to take a leap of faith and really make your gift of cake more available to the world!

Good luck!

I honestly feel that sometimes our hesitations are really there for a reason. It is possible that you were not meant to do this at this time it doesn't mean it will never come up again. There is a direction you will follow and you will know it because you won't be able to not to.

From my quote collection, some motivation for you!
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The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  
---Sally Berger

Dont be afraid your life will end; be afraid it will never begin.  
---Grace Hansen

Life is what happens to you while youre busy making other plans.
---John Lennon

If you think you can do a thing or think you cant do a thing, youre right.
---Henry Ford

Even if youre on the right track, youll get run over if you just sit there.
---Will Rogers

Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
---Abraham Lincoln

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
-----Eleanor Roosevelt

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do ... Explore. Dream. Discover."
----Mark Twain

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.      
------Sydney J. Harris

are you F*** nuts?

I was just looking at your pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG

I'm going to quit the business if YOU are afraid your talent is not enough and are afraid to fail.

*****************************************

I totally understand about not being able to keep up with the mundane aspects of running a business, you have a great opportunity if your parents close their business to ask them to take a few weeks and help you run that part of your business..

Who knows? give them a few weeks to get bored out of their minds and they will be begging you for a full time gig..lol

Also, you can always just hire their bookkeeper or accountant part time that way ...all you have to do is just keep reciepts and hand them over!

You are way to talented, don't get me wrong...teaching is a noble profession, but as a cake designer!? man you kick some serious bootay!

If you really have issues with your fear of failure, a good talk to a professional wouldn't hurt you.

You can eighter talk to a "life" coach or a therapist.

I have /am in your shoes...I sabotage myself left and right...but with me..it's my weight.

I get "boy" crazy ( actually...it becomes about me, when I can walk into a store and fit into skinny JR. sized clothing and my kids don't like it..lol ) SO what do I do? stop going to the gym, become a pathetic couch potato and eat chips by the bag.......then I begin the cycle of self loathing.

So, you're not the only one...and take it from me...all it takes is one step, but that one step is a doozy..........it feels like you're going to step of the planet....but, sweety, close your eyes and BELIEVE.

BELIEVE in whatever gets you through the tough times..be it a greater power or yourself!

and if worse comes to worse...get some Electronic tutorials going, girl, your talent rocks!

(insert the air fist of rock and music here!!)

I LOVE THOSE QUOTES

Thanks for the quotes, they encourage me.

You're afraid of WHAT??? Girl....you are nuts!

Your cakes are fabulous. I think this is a blessing in disguise....just think...5 years from now when your business is a huge success, you'll say, "I would have missed this opportunity if I had gotten that teaching job!"

Things DO happen for a reason...now get going on your cakes!!!

1) your cakes are beautiful
2) take the plunge. MA is one of a handful of states to be legal at home
3) finish your degree. No matter what your major, you will later regret not finishing school. With only 1 class to go just do it!
4) where are you in MA

You guys are great - thanks so much for all the kind words, you've all got me in tears over here. Thanks so much for the votes of confidence!

I do have my Bach degree, it's in Graphic Arts, I was 1 semester away from completing a double major to have a teaching degree as well. I had too many conflicting classes for my Graphics major to be able to finish my student teaching as well - so I chose the Graphics degree. Which I have been able to use with the job I ended up with to this point. So I totally agree with all of you who mentioned having a degree! So maybe again the choice of teacher over artist has simply won again.

The whole business thing is sooo mind boggling! It is one thing to bake some cakes - a whole other thing to have to earn enough to pay expenses like a bookkeeper and taxes. I am much better at just doing what I am asked than trying to figure out the path to take (there's that fear thing again )

Peg I am in Framingham, about 20 min from Boston.

And Doug I will keep my eye out for those hedgehogs!

I guess I just have to start researching what I have to do business-wise to try to get things going. First step is to remodel the kitchen with all the quotes from Debi painted all over my walls!

Thanks everyone!

p.s. ---

do the student teaching...

lots of schools have a "habit" of using it as an "audition" and then hiring you back asap after the student teaching ends.

we had a math teacher do student teaching 1st semester and 2nd she was full time on staff.

it happens -- and there are more schools than just your son's.

hey plan ahead for a little extra grief in his life -- get a job at the HS he will attend!!

and hey -- all the rigmarole of getting all set-up -- pawn it off on family members! turn the tables -- you've worked for them, now they can work for you!

("mad hedgehogs" from one of my fav. kids picture books: The Church Mouse by Graham Oakley)

i've been teaching art for 7 years -half time now that we have 3 kids. i'm trying to get some baking business too. it's so much work. after student teaching i got the first job i applied for -in the district where i student taught. doug's right about the audition! now that i'm working half time i can bake more (usually when all the kids are in bed).

hang 'em out there and get what you want! YOU CAN DO IT!

Make a little train cake and say I thinj I can I think I can........
I KNOW YOU CAN

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!

I got a message today from the principal at the school and the job is available again!! I called and left a message to set up a meeting. This must be a sign that it is coming up again.

I'll let you know how it goes!!

Wow!! That is such great news!! I will be keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you!!

Great news, any school would be luck to have you. You are very talented and creative.

so what's the word? anything yet? sounds like a fairly sure thing if the principal called you!

One teacher to another-- good luck. This will be my 18th year, and I still love it.

In situations like yours there's something I always try to remember: sometimes when bad things happen or things don't work out the way we want, it's because God is setting us up to receive something even better . So many times I have thought I might never get over the fact that something I wanted so badly didn't work out . Then sometime later something so AwEsOmE would happen that never would have happened if things had worked out before. It's just God's plan, that's the way it is. I often laugh at myself for my impatience and wonder why I never seem to learn .

You are so talented and there are BIG things in store for you .

Best of luck w/the job!

And take setting up your cake business in baby steps (as FlyLady would say). It may seem a bit overwhelming right now but think back to when you first started decorating cakes. Back then did you think you could do what you can now? Look at what you can do...incredible work! Just break it down into tiny steps and delegate to trusted loved ones.

Believe!

Congratulations, and I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I am a proud educator, too. I've been molding young minds for almost 30 years. When I retire. after my daughter finishes high school and college, I might put my cake decorating skills to use in an after retirement cake business. Who knows? I am enjoying baking and decorating cakes for family and my "school" family. Good luck!

Good luck Laura!! You will be great no matter what you end up doing. Stop hating on yourself too.. it's vicious and nothing good ever comes of it. (take it from someone who knows.. I keep wavering on wether or not I should jump into the business aspect of caking too.. my self-loathing gets in the way hard core). You have so much talent.. jump on in girl!!

Good luck!

I'm so happy for you. I sure hope you get it!!! You are so talented and have so much to offer. When it comes to teaching art you have to be able to think outside the box and your cakes certainly demonstrate that!!! There is no such thing as chance... things happen for a reason... and I am dying to know how to make those incredible bottles!!!!

Just want to throw another vote of confidence in here for good measure! Your cakes are amazing...and Girl you take that last class so that you are able to teach...have ALL your options open! Then if something did happen and all the people living in your area are too blind to see that your work is awesome ...you always have teaching...unless teaching is your first love then you have your little cake shop and can pick and choose the cake jobs you want since you already have that income from the teaching job...GO YOU! I wish I had done much more with my potential...but am not complaining! This one is near to my heart as I wanted to teach also!

Jumping on the band wagon sending good wishes your way! Just be yourself and you'll be fine. They must be REALLY interested in you.