Welcome! I finally figured out how to do this through Shopify! As my first blog post I figured I would start with who I am and what I do. Or what I am doing. Right now I identify as a single piece of corn. And I probably will for some time. Many call me Uni, Most of my real life people call me Blair or Mom.
I should start with how A Critical Hit came to be. It had many manifestations before I decided "F#$@k it, I am doing this. And it is just going to be a Hodge Podge of me."
I have spent the last 17 years of my life building business for others. I am a builder. I love to build things and creating worlds. 2020 was a life changing year for me like everyone else. But unlike most as an "essential worker" my life did not change other than my entire family was home and I was working 70 hour weeks. I remember sitting in my car on the phone with my boss telling him how miserable I was in truly all things, work, home all of it. In this odd understanding moment between us he told me he understood and that I needed to do what I felt I needed to do. That is the last real conversation I had with him that was not professional until I quit my job 2 years later. I did not follow my gut and I stayed in the job, and there was continued lack of focus, second guessing myself. But I was hiding and I know I was hiding. What I was doing was easy, too easy and I was comfortable but miserable. When covid happened I continued to stay because my whole world at home turned upside down, but the company that had held the same values as me shifted. This is not a political statement, but a value statement on the treatment of employees who are a corporation's grunts. Granted this company was a sole proprietorship but it is probably one of the biggest sole proprietorship east of it's industry. It is fair to call it corporate at this point.
I will be the first to admit, I am not a stay at home Mom. Much respect my friends to those who are. I am impressed by your resilience. But 2020, My husband and kids were all at home. All Day Long. I do not have the capacity for that so I lost myself in my work and in other things. Covid was hard on everyone. I lost someone I loved dearly, and instead of dealing with that I worked and hid out in online spaces like most of the world.
This, plus a series of other events through covid lead me to rage quit the job that I should have quit long before covid. Which leads me to A Critical Hit. Yes, those of you who follow me, know I am an Artificer at heart.
I had the realization that I have built brands for other people and I have always been successful at that. I have had brands come back to me who were ready to expand and I launched new locations and products. The company I rage quit came back to me 2 weeks ago. And my quitting was less than professional.
I realized why should I continue to do this for others? I still love doing it for others, but why can I not benefit from this as well as my kids? I can create something my kids and I love and have and benefit from forever. And those who really need help. Not "Daddy Deep Pockets Holistic Pet Company."
I found a space that was close to my heart. Art, storytelling, tinkering and helping those who want to grow but don't know how, or are afraid to take the steps to share their work. Alas, a Critical Hit was born.
Yes some creations are my own, but I decided to subscribe to Patreons and support other artist in offering exposure of their work. While my emotions are still at war with a lot of things as I enter the precipice of 40, I know that in A Critical Hit I have found my passion and I am using it for the power of good. And not for the power of the man who already has too many dollars. And I look forward to working with all of you in the future.