[Jewelry making - Article 00966] - Re: [Orchid] Jobs that you want to run screaming from?

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    	 I have taken on repairs more times than I care to count where I
    felt sorry for the customer, and out of sympathy knowing they would
    have a hard time finding someone to fix it, or find someone that
    would be reasonable, I took it in. I solved their problem, but I
    created one for myself. 

    	 When I first started my business, I took in every repair that I
    had any hope of fixing.  After ten years, it is really hard to turn
    down some repairs, I just have a nature that wants to help solve
    someone elses problem, and I still don't realize how much time and
    effort it actually takes to fix the piece.  

    	 When I sat at the bench  looking at the piece I wondered what I
    was thinking when I took it in. The definition of insanity: doing the
    same thing over and over the same way and expecting the results to be
    different. 

    	I am diligently working on limiting myself to repairing only what
    is purchased at my store, and goldwork I know I can get well paid
    for. It is still hard to turn away things that I know I can fix. 

    		When I first opened my store I had women in their 70's or 80's
    that had costume jewelry and I knew they had no idea of how much just
    the labor would cost to fix their treasures. If I could do it simply,
    I would do it and not charge anything. I knew they would not be
    purchasing new jewelry from me. Fortunately those type of jobs don't
    walk in the door anymore. 

    	 Since I have 30 or more repairs , custom pieces and stock for the
    cases on my plate at all times, I have to try and have a sense of how
    I think I will have time to do all that. A constant struggle for a
    person who is organizationally and time management challenged. 

    	Many times I have agreed to do something custom that I had no idea
    of how to do, basically jumped off a cliff without knowing where I
    would land. This has always worked out for me since I am good at
    problem solving. I got paid to learn whatever skill I needed, learned
    about the materials, and only did the job if I could do it with the
    technical skill of a professional. This also taught me to have
    discipline, I already had commitment and responsibility. I also was
    never afraid or ashamed to adopt someone ( sometimes without their
    knowledge or consent) as a mentor and seek advice. 

    	That's where I am in my process. Working with metal and stone is a
    creative use of my obsessive compulsive disorder. 	 

Richard in Denver	

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