but when I got up in the morning, I felt like sketching a foggy early morning, brisk, and under a bright moon. I did so first thing in the morning, right after the first sips of coffee and forgot to finish the coffee while doing so. This is what you call “flow”, or you could call it deep immersion. I would like to do more sketches with my ipad, simple experimental drawings, exploring and training my hand. I like to immerse there.
The same in a sense is true when it comes to perfumes. I am doing more sketches these days, with my raw material vials, exploring and training my nose. Independently of whether I can sell them or not later. Right now, I have an ambra sketch under my nose: I mixed it a few days ago. It willl go into a first experimental dilution today, later in the evening. Ambra-cocoa-patchouli and hints of cinnamon and leather. Just finest hints. I do these mostly for myself and will not share them right now. I cannot even if I wished. But I am looking into.
The same is true for filling Cologne in sample vials and do extra “off-track” specials. I already do much too much specials. Thus, referring to a question in yesterday’s comments: No, I do not fill the Cologne into sample vials, even if paid for it, as this would only distract me from my mission. But I am looking into the Cologne du Maghreb and other scents that are either finished or in the pipeline: How can I move on there, offering them without overloading my boat.
There is a limit of what you can do, if you do things yourself. A limit of sample vials that you fill, a limit of mails that you answer and a limit of special little extras that you can do on the side. In a sense it is a paradox: I have to distance myself in order to stay close to what I love doing-creating.
The first meetings to address this question is scheduled and happens in 10 days.
I know what you mean. I think it’s one of the hidden challenges to indie creative endeavors. What you want to do is play, create, dabble and share, but what the business requires is focus and selective marketing. Finding a way to do both can be very hard.
I’ve found a lot of freedom in working for a small company where I can play around and make stuff, and they can figure out what they want to do with it. Luckily, they also let me dabble in my own independent projects from time to time. And even then, I get paralyzed when it comes time to choose what goes where. Sell it myself? Sell it elsewhere? Hang on to it and improve it?
No easy answers, sadly. But if you ever have a small batch that you don’t know how to sell, you know you have a group of eager guinea pigs in us!
Hi Kirsten
and thank you for your detailed comment. The problem with the guinea pig approach: Once you pop, you can’t stop! Seriously, I thought about this option, too.
To be frank, I do not want to go back my previous situation where I had to share my potential and energy with an employer. I rather fight with my challenges of creating and when and what to share. But I can see the advantages of working for a small company with lots of freedom. Have a lovely evening,
Andy
Hello Andy, I totally understand what you write about filling vials!!! I am sorry that I was almost stalking you about the cologne du Maghreb. Luckily there are so many other delicious scents to choose from the Tauer range. So stay focussed on what you want to do and follow your heart.
Dear Andy, I must ask about the Cologne du Maghreb… I very much want to try it, even unsniffed. I was not lucky to win a bottle in the Advent Calendar this year, so I am thinking of buying it from indiescents… do you have any sense of how long it will be available there? I don’t want to miss out!
I will amend my remarks above, as I just tried to add a bottle of it to my cart at Indiescents.com and I see it is already sold out! Ah well, the early bird gets the worm and that is not me this time.
Looking forward to your other upcoming works, Andy. I am glad you value your independence because it means we get to see the art that YOU are passionate about. And honestly, it is OK if you take your time introducing more things, because that gives me more time to save my pennies for your current fragrances.
Oh.. I checked yesterday: then it was still available, Susan
But here’s the good news: more is in stock in Zurich, ready to ship…Fragrant greetings.
Excellent! Thanks Andy, I’ll keep checking over there!
Andy, I have a question about your scented sketches: while experimenting, do you smell them only from the vial or do you apply them to skin (if they even can be applied)?
Greetings, Undina
I actually never smell seriously from a vial ( I do but just to get a quick impression), but I smell all from paper or from the skin. Paper gives a slow motion view. Skin lets scents bloom.
Hi Andy–Ambra-cocoa-patchouli and hints of cinnamon and leather—sounds amazingly lush and unlike anything else you’ve done. I hope this one becomes a reality. Have a great day!
Hi Jen
actually, I forgot to mention my beloved Iris root paired with violet note that fits so well with ambra.
…
Reading today’s blog felt like having the clock turned back to let us see the inner workings of the clock inside you. And of course I loved it, especially the line that you need to distance yourself to stay close to something. This is so true for many aspects of life. You have to step back to focus clearly on yourself or your fellow beings. Greetings from afar.
What was it someone once said about the usefulness and the power of the word No?
Persolaise: YES!
Thank you, Stephan
…step back to focus…
PLEASE share this in-progress w/ the world at some point – too good not to share!!
I am trying to remember who penned the thoughts on the power of “NO“, and draw a blank… BUT in the music dept, there is the Zombies “Tell Her No!“DMB does a great job covering their songs! 
Ultimately, you have to do what makes you happy in order to keep a business fresh and growing. As long as you and the W-factor are making ends meet, enjoy yourselves! I’m looking forward to being in a less soul-sucking line of work soon and hope I can make ends meet with it.
I’ve been in a very exploratory mood with scents lately, so I look forward to whatever you might produce — be it rose-based or ambra-patchouli-cacao.
Don’t try to push yourself too hard, Andy. After all, you’re still only human. If you want to continue to bring your adoring fans new gems, you may have to discontinue something, or at least put it on hiatus for later resurrection. Im sure there is a fragrance in your line that is on the bottom of the totem pole, as far as sales go. People will understand.
Fragrant greetings, Rictor07
I hope I do indeed not push too hard. you are very right: discontinuation is one door that we might one day to open. Not today, though.
It might hurt some. And I prefer to put scents in a sleeping mode, for later wake up.
Fragrant greetings, EileenS
I love it when my perfume lovers are in exploratory mode
There is so much fragrant out there, waiting to be discovered. Often it is even right in front of our nose, but we won’t realize it because we think we know it already. …