Writing a new blog post has been on my list of to-dos for awhile now, and I’m only now getting around to it after a couple of months of pure insanity. To make a long story short, I had an issue with my passport that required me to temporarily leave the country. So, for a few weeks, I’m staying with my parents in Georgia while I wait on some paperwork to be sorted so I can return with a renewed visa. I have a lot to say about being back in the states and getting reacclimatized to American life, but to put it succinctly it’s been a difficult transition. More so than I would have thought. I feel like a stranger here and miss “home” (yeah, China), like crazy.
It’s weird how being in a foreign country can change so much in such a short period of time. Coming back to the USA and being reunited with all the things that used to mean so much to me has been a weird experience. Things I thought I really missed, it turns out, aren’t all that important anymore. And I’m talking possessions here, not people or relationships. (Yeah, this blog post is about to get introspective and personal, be forewarned)
Relationships are what matter in life. Period. The good ones. The ones that count. The ones that will be around for good. We all hear that a lot, but sometimes we forget to really think about it. A good friend of mine once told me something I’ll never ever ever forget on this subject. He first asked me who I’d miss the most if they passed away. I guessed it’d have to be my parents. He asked why. Because they are family, because they love me, because I’ve known them all my life I said, etc etc. But he challenged all that. He said that wasn’t it at all. He said I’d miss them because they do more for me than anyone else. Therefore, he said:
“If you want people to miss you when you die, be a person that always does things for other people.”
That was several years ago, and though it took me awhile to really put it into action, I never forgot it. And as I get older and meet new people from different backgrounds, cultures, and social statuses, the more I realize that this simple measuring stick for relationships is totally reliable.
The fact is, we all have a selfish streak in us. Society tells us that it’s only the ladder-climbers, the back-stabbers, and the throat-cutters that get anywhere in life. But they don’t ever tell us exactly what kind of a place that “anywhere” is. The truth is, there’s only one rung at the top of the ladder, and the top of money pile is a lonely place to sit.
In the four years of running Linty Fresh, my motto has been the same – LF is a company I run and not the other way around. Once it stops becoming fun and starts becoming a job, I’ll be ready to do something else. Has that time come? It’s difficult to say. There are aspects I still enjoy immensely. Communicating with you all as supporters is the most rewarding part of it. Hearing how you’ve been inspired and knowing that some of you have even used it as fuel to start your own enterprises is something that gives me a real sense of pride and accomplishment.
However, it’s impossible to hide that my passion for the brand has wavered in the last year. Managing things from overseas has been a real headache, and though my employee back in the states has done an excellent job keeping on top of things, I know my absence has been felt online and off. So where does that leave us?
As an email I got this week put it bluntly (though I appreciate this kind of frankness), my disappearance has been “like a slap in the teeth” to my supporters. The author of the email likened it to a TV show whose writers lose interest and let the series die off after attracting a large fanbase. And the last thing I want to do, after garnering such an awesome community of supporters, is betray them. So, I have to consider my options. There are a few things on the table, all of which I need to analyze carefully to weigh out the pros and cons.
But I’d like to know, since those of you who read this blog have an important voice in this, what do you think? If you were in my shoes, where would you go?
Hey Eric!
I once likened you to a young Johnny Cupcakes in that I knew him when he started and I met you through emptees when LF was still ‘figuring it out’. Your dedication to the brand, to keeping things fun and creative, and standing apart even so early in the process were similarities to Mr. Earle, but your hand in the actual artwork among other things were unique and I really appreciated what you had set out to do. A story behind your designs? Awesome. Open communication with your customers? Epic. Your openness to adventure (in moving around the world and taking us along for the ride)? So much fun.
Your aversion to working with LF when it becomes ‘laborious’ is noted, but I would also encourage you to consider that LF, even if more and more like a ‘job’, is still something that you have created and it’s so much more than a 9 to 5. I’ve been doing Goodie since 2001 and there have been several periods of time where I look at it as a ‘job’ more than a creative outlet or tool for encouraging positivity in others, which is more or less what I originally set out to do. But in the same breath I recognize that I’m not working at Applebee’s (for those who work at Applebee’s, it is a fine establishment). I get to do something I love for a living. Drawing, embracing creativity, implementing silly ideas… Even if my role seems significantly smaller than it once was, and Goodie has grown far beyond something I have a large say over, it still only takes a rudder to steer the entire ship.
Not that LF and Goodie are necessarily similar, but I can’t help but see another incredibly creative entrepreneur with waning interest and I just want to encourage you that if being creative and drawing and communicating with fans & friends are still things you are passionate about, then sticking with LF, and committing to what it has to offer both good and bad, is a rewarding decision. Your fans will commend you and your future self will have grown because of it. It’s the difficult decisions in life that make us better people tomorrow.
Not sure if you’re big into Jesus or the Bible, but even if you aren’t there is great wisdom in the text, in that Romans 5:3-4 says, “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” I might be reading too much into your post, but if this is some sort of fork in the road or significant issue, then you can certainly look forward to building your character through this situation, regardless of the outcome.
I have sort of admired LintyFresh from afar these last few years and have come to LOVE the posts you create about Chinese culture, shirt related or not. (“I’m picking up shelves, here is my cab driver, etc” = so interesting!) Furthermore, I understand the intrinsic difficulties in working on something ‘long distance’ which is something I have great experience with. I ultimately made myself more available and I cannot deny the productivity I now see from it, but for that chapter in my life I also saw some great adventures while working with Goodie from afar. You may not have partners encouraging you to get back into the mix, but you have a much different customer than we do and I would consider them to have an investment in LF much more than $25 for a shirt. Goodie has some ‘forever-fans’ for which we are forever grateful, but with the kind of project you are doing, each customer becomes a ‘forever-fan’ because they are purchasing a story, a project, an adventure and something unique. They commit to LF because they stand behind it and you and are saying, “Alright Eric, let’s see where this t-shirt story takes us next.” I mean, shoot, maybe I’m being too romantic about the whole thing, but to create something where there once was nothing, and to have other people love and invest in that thing you have created is something so few people get to experience!
And even if you decide to move on to the next chapter in life, because certainly nothing lasts forever, I still just want to say thank you for such an interesting & wonderful ride. You’ve achieved something maybe only 5% of people ever get to do in that you made something other people love, myself included. I look forward to WHATEVER project(s) you decide to pursue in the future and I can only hope you again decide to bring us all along for the ride. Good luck in you decisions and God bless you!
Gabe Connor
Goodie Two Sleeves®
*(I should add a disclaimer that my statements about the Bible and/or Jesus are my personal beliefs and as much as they influence everything I do, they do not necessarily portray the opinions of Goodie Two Sleeves® or our affiliates.)
Well it might be counter intuitive but I’d suggest that you not heed our advice at all.
If you keep it alive due to overwhelming support, but your heart isn’t in it, ultimately it will make you miserable.
Vice Versa, if you drop it based on our advice while you still love it, you’ll regret that decision.
I love linty fresh, as I’m sure the majority of the people who read this blog do as well, so we’d be lying if we told you to abandon LT. But ultimately you will face the consequences of this decision, whether they be good or bad, more so than anyone else.
It could just be that you’ve had tough time these couple of months. Yes, you do have a responsibility to your supporters. However, you need to have some self preservation. Like you said, ” LF is a company I run and not the other way around”. I would take a breath, regroup and find new ways to ignite your creativity and passion.
Do what makes you happy. If it’s moving on from LF, then so be it. Your LF supporters, including myself, will support you no matter what! If it’s time for a break, do that. Just follow your instincts.
Just follow your heart Eric. Your fanbase will support you with whatever direction you decide to go. But the only thing that comes to mind, is “Was one of the main reasons you moved to China was to expand Linty Fresh?” While plans change, feelings change, really weight your options and run with it. Either way you are a very talented individual and have a great future ahead of you regardless. The community which you have given so much to, will support you 110% whichever direction you go.
Thanks for the input. So honest! I really appreciate this kind of stuff.
A good point. Making things more interesting for myself makes a lot of sense, actually.
Thanks! The main reason for moving to China was for the adventure, actually. I originally was just going to live there for just 3 months, but once I got there I ended up loving it and then was presented with the opportunity to establish the brand there. When I wrote this post and talk about possibly scaling down LF, I mean the US-side of things. The China branch will continue to operate. But for me, since this branch is operated in Chinese and sold to a culture that isn’t my own, I will never be able to fully convey myself as I have through the original LF (through blogs, videos, poems, etc) The LF there will primarily be about products sold on a website.
Gabe, you’ve given me a lot to think about (both now and in times past) and I appreciate it a lot.
It’s funny, I have a feeling that the same motivation that has gotten LF to where it is today is responsible for its decline recently, and that is my own personal drive to always try new things. For awhile I did this through the brand, experimenting with new products and projects and avenues of creativity (like the videos and poems). And now, this drive is taking me all around the world (don’t think I’m stopping in China!), and for the time being that’s become the most rewarding and interesting endeavor, so all others have been set temporarily set aside.
But your comment reaffirms my own thoughts about the brand. Coming back to the states and having direct communication with customers (it’s much much much harder to do from where I am) is a good feeling. The idea of abandoning it completely, or even selling it, isn’t too appealing to me, especially after the thousands of hours I’ve put into it.
With that in mind (and I should probably make a separate post about this), today I’m meeting with a good friend here that has a proposition that may help find a middle ground in this dilemma. If it works out and both sides agree to the terms, LF will continue running as it always has, with me behind the wheel, but with a lot less on my plate work-wise. We’ll see.
In any case, it’s great to get this kind of feedback from someone who’s been in my exact situation, and who got through it. I appreciate it immensely.
Eric, this is not really constructive or helpful, but I’ll just say it anyway since I feel like saying it:
Long Live LintyFresh!
–Steve
I’m a Spanish boy and I’ve been following your run these last months. Thanks to your blog I’ve got the courage to continue with my labour. You’ve been a very good reference for me. Thank you very much and cheer up!
I think if it were any regular job and your heart wasn’t in it most people would just continue doing it. I don’t think my heart was in any 9-5 jobs I’ve ever had but in those circumstances heart has little to do with working there. You just do it and get paid.
You have a dream job and you need to find the aspects of your business you love and hire out all the other jobs.
I’m with Jon Kruse here. Even if it’s something you love there will always be rough patches, times when you just wanna abandon ship, etc, and it’s tough to stay positive. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to run businesses in two countries, but apart from that I think I know where you’re coming from.
Hope you figure out a good way to keep things going homie. Much love.
Not wanting to be unoriginal, I would say that you’ve definately spured me on to start up a line of my own, not to say that there isn’t a chance I wouldn’t have otherwise, following you for the last few years has definately given me my own identity.
Orginially when I encountered a number of brands (yours over many overs) I thought that they were very profitable and succesful, following you more recently however I now see that running something so personal although at the earlier stages may not be producing a great deal of money, does however enrich your life greatly and allow you to appreciate people a little more.
We all know that your greatly in it for the creative opportunity, if you feel that you will be able to work alternative jobs without Linty Fresh as an output, perhaps you will find happiness else where. If you do consider the fact that there may be a chance to rekindle your love and passion for Linty Fresh understand that your art has inspired many, your t-shirts have dressed many and that your presence has brought many together.
What ever you do decide, I’d be happy, as you are one of my heroes, to give you a free shirt of my own in appreciation.
Thank You Eric.
GREAT BLOG! not like your usual ones just like you said…
i love that quote and what your friend had to say, very wise indeed.
Seeing that tattoo of the person with LF on this thigh. most surely give you the feeling of contining your dominance of style through LF. and jumpstarting it to new leaps. and maybe someday be the next HELLO KITTY. indeed your style will improve and so will your stories and your quality as well.
dont forget about your fans who buy the clothing not just cause its unique but also one of a kind. so please show us the true meaning of style!!!!
and continue your legacies.
your broke fan,
DRUDG3R
I totally understand the wavering and being away from it and living a totally different life is a hard thing to come back to. If your heart is in running LF china, you gotta go for it. I have had a ton of respect for what you did with your brand and always loved making the belts you’d send over. It kept me motivated and inspired with something i have been doing for 6-7 years.
Take some time to dwell on it and if there is a way of offering the new LF products to people in the states, great, but if not and you love doing it over there, than you need to run with it. You have to follow your gut. Its gotten you this far and taken you on a great adventure that most of us wouldn’t have the guts to take.
How you treat the people in your life and what your friend said is exactly correct. I came to that realization a few years ago after losing my grandfather and when my dad got really sick in september of this year, i dropped my entire business and went back east to help out for 6 weeks until he passed away. We have spent so much time building up our businesses and creating a lifestyle that sometimes it clouds our decision making. I love that i can pay my bills off of my belts and shirts, but it doesn’t define me anymore as a person. Its my friends and family that come first.
Whatever you decide to do, your fans will understand and if they don’t initially, one day they will get it. as robert frost said:
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
good luck. its been a pleasure to work with you and linty fresh.
Hmmmm.. sell linty? or Keep linty?…. really it’s a no brain-er..but I think possibly being back has got you reminiscent of all the fun you used to have, I guess in a way your thinking about us… The people that read your blog and wait impatiently (erm only some) to see what quirky idea you will come up with next. It is important that you must as many have said be true to you!
You have been able to create something wonderful because it came from deep within you and you have had the zeal and passion I might add to bring that wonderfully positive thought into fruition. If you sold up and moved on.. It would never be the same.. It may retain the name but your stamp would be forever removed.
Personally I would think long and hard about this..really ponder – see yourself in a year or two, Is linty by your side. My first comment was going to be “Can’t you just run the whole show from China” but as I began to think on these things I realised that just me being selfish and not considering you.
You have encouraged many that have a brand and that do not but that because of your passion and character. If you are going to continue then these things need to be involved or it just wont be the same.
I wish you well
Although I have not been in your position Eric, a recent experience really helped me gain a new perspective on my creative work-flow and helped me breath new life into it. I hope it can help you too.
On my final semester of school i was so burnt out with school. I had no artistic motivation left and no idea how I was going to finish let alone get the A that was required for me to graduate. Just then my professor gave me a piece of advice that helped me get over that hurtle and continues to help me today.
he said,’ work out of passion, not fear. when you work out of fear -will i get this done? will it be good? or can i find my motivation again?- the foundation is negative so the outcome will be negative too. When you work out of passion-the love of helping communicating your art to others or just creating for the love of it then the foundation is positive and the outcome will be positive too.’
so step back and find the things that cause you to create work with passion and use these to fuel your work. Every time you begin to feel like its not fun – step back and analyze what happened and what you can do to make it fun again, whether that be changing the subject matter of the project your working on, stopping and taking a break (taking a walk really helps), or even leaving the project for the next day. That was one of the biggest things for me. “WHAT??? The next day???” I thought. Yes the next day. Our automatic response to solving problems is you have to get it out of the way right away in order to move on. But that places alot of stress on our ability to preform thus causing us to lose joy. You’ll be amazed at how a difficult problem one day will be easily solved the next if you just have some time to clear your head. Also working one something a little bit every, day 2-3 hours, will help keep if “fresh.” (pun intended) After keeping this in the back of my mind for the entire semester I was able to get the A.
I think you have always worked out of passion and that’s why you inspire so many people. Sometimes though situations come along that make us have difficulties with our inspiration. Especially when we have to worry about other jobs that may detract from our creative work. So like Jon and David say- delegate! But if you are not in a position to do that then you may need to explore a different creative outlet to recharge your batteries.
And besides us you know where to look for help, and I’m sure you already have. keep up the good work! whatever the outcome we are rooting for you! Go Eric Go Eric!!!
It’s a month after the fact, but I truly admire YOU, the LF line is just a bonus. Like said by your other supporters, do what makes you thrive and yearn for more. You’ve definitely accomplished yourself with your enterprise…push your limits…go for something bigger! I wish you much luck in your decision(s)…