Reality Bites

One of every designer's nightmare is their tailors.

concept that you have build for months, designs & pattern that you have made, revise, re-make, and the fabrics that you pick carefully with love, you explain the realization plan, you explain the pattern and how you expect it would be, you spend money on fabrics, samples and production, you spend time to designs, you spend times go back and forth fabrics store, you spend times go back and forth to the tailors workshop for brainstorming and everything, you explain to the tailors your timeline, when exactly you expect it to be done.

and after all of those blood, sweat and tears.

you keep waiting, and waiting and waiting for them to be done. they promise 5 days it became 10 days, they promise a week it became two weeks.
after all those waiting, you found out that the result wasn't exactly as you expected or sometime...it's a disaster, 180 degrees different than your designs (don't forget that you gave them the patterns, brainstorming, and sample revising)

then you have to re-produce the sample with revision. you cannot put out of your mind: how much money you have spent on the false sample production (fabrics, man-hour, transportation, EMOTIONS!)

then the cycle goes on and on. and there are many other nightmare's before sunlight.

for you who read this, and you're like me, a designer wanna be, it's not to ruin your dream. I'm not trying to break your spirit, okay.

i just gave you reality check. I gave myself reality check too with this post.

Having passion is not just a beautiful dreams of flowers and paradise. it's hardwork, persistent, and MONEY.

people can motivate you and tell you to go after your dream but they didn't gave you money for capital, they didn't help you go through all of those things above, because, they're not you.

It's you.... who have to motivate yourself, spend time, energy and money and sometimes sacrificing things to achieve the so-called-passion. once again, it's passion not "Pek-sye-en" (read: paksaan)

so...my friend, keep your head in the cloud but your feet on the ground. know your passion but also know your limitations and how to overcome it.
don't let others, whoever they are define your steps and your will. if they are as good as their advise, they will do it themselves, you know.

Intermezzo:
I know someone who has been designers for years (5 years or so) and not only she haven't got Break Even Point (capital back) she also have to gali-lobang-tutup-lobang for every productions, show, bazaar she's done. even sometimes, she have to borrow money for what she sells is not a profit.

you know, I've been merchant for quite sometimes, i can honestly say: it's more profitable to sells finish goods (and doesn't have to deal with nightmares above) . that's why, I'm still doing it (finish goods business) until now. for me, doing business without  profit but only to be known, is .... i don't know how to phrase it, maybe "gak ceng li!" :D
no one make money only to spend it. that doesn't make sense. at all. and money we're talking here is not million, it's puluh-puluh million okay....

so for now.... my main focus is my family, my job, my business then my design, on those specific order.

and, once again, i'm not killing your dreams and my dreams. i just want to be more realistic.