Okay, so it\u2019s really not that dramatic as my title suggests\u2026<\/p>\n
Without a doubt, I love the parenting writing and speaking work that I do.\u00a0 <\/span>However, I\u2019ve always wanted a product<\/strong> to sell.\u00a0 <\/span>Last year, I began laying the groundwork of a t-shirt company geared towards babies, toddlers and preschoolers.\u00a0 <\/span>(Yes, I know \u2013 another<\/strong> t-shirt line.)\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n The idea began after reviewing a gazillion (I\u2019m exaggerating) tees.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Some of the tees were great but very pricey.\u00a0 <\/span>I would think to myself, \u201cIt\u2019s just a t-shirt, not a work of art.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Then, I had a mental click \u2013 why not start a line of classical art t-shirts?\u00a0 <\/span>I came up with the name (Masterpiece Tees) and the tagline (\u201cMerging art and fashion for the preschool set\u201d) By the way, I\u2019m only sharing this stuff now, because I\u2019m not going to do it anymore.\u00a0 <\/span>Feel free to steal\/borrow any of the logic.\u00a0 <\/span>Anyway, I got a SCORE mentor, took a class on the t-shirt business, lined up supply sources, etc.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n The last hurdle was to get the art license that I had my heart set on.\u00a0 <\/span>I only wanted to do a Picasso collection to start (perhaps this is a throwback to my Art Humanities classes while at Columbia College).\u00a0 <\/span>I had it all planned out \u2013 start with five classic black and white prints (The Dog, Owl, The Butterfly, The Camel, <\/em>and Dove of Peace<\/em>) and then later, I would add colored prints on tees.\u00a0 I contacted the Artists Rights Society of New York (ARSNY) and they were great.\u00a0 <\/span>They walked me through the whole submission process over the last year (I took some time off when Sean was born).\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s been an interesting process dealing with art dealers, museums, etc.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, the process didn\u2019t have a happy ending.\u00a0 <\/span>This week, the Picasso Estate denied my requests to use the prints that I wanted on the tees.\u00a0 (<\/span>Now, I know why there aren\u2019t any Picasso tees out there for the general public.)\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m disappointed \u2013 they would have been so cute (I did mock-ups)!\u00a0 <\/span>My husband is so sweet.\u00a0 <\/span>He said, \u201cYou can do the line with other classic artists.\"\u00a0 (<\/span>He should know me by now \u2013 I had my heart set on Picasso- in my mind, its Picasso or nothing!)\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s good to have some closure though so that I can move on\u2026a year is a long time to wait to get a \u201cno\u201d!\u00a0 <\/span>Now, I\u2019m over my initial disappointment and I\u2019m excited to see what\u2019s next.\u00a0 <\/span>My husband is so great.\u00a0 <\/span>He said, \u201cWhat do you want <\/strong>to do now?\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m so fortunate to be in a place in my life where I can even think about that.\u00a0 <\/span>Do I want to pursue another product?\u00a0 <\/span>Do I want to focus more on blogging?\u00a0 <\/span>Do I want to focus more on speaking?\u00a0 <\/span>Do I want to focus more on writing for print media?\u00a0 <\/span>Do I want to focus on planning children\u2019s events?\u00a0 <\/span>Right now, I just have the questions.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019ll be exciting to see what new doors get opened (and shut!) as the year moves on\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"