AISLING SCALLY
CRAFTER
Aisling Scally worked for an IT consultancy as a Quality Analysis Specialist right up until her third child was born. “It was full-time work, but with none of the perks of a permanent role — I never knew what company I would be contracted out to next, or their working hours. So it was hard to manage childcare around it; my husband had to have flexible working hours to mould around mine.”
She realised after her third child was born that it just wasn’t sustainable anymore. “There were some days I didn’t see the kids at all. I would leave before they got up and would be home past their bedtime. That broke my heart. My eldest also has special needs, and we found we were using all our holiday days to take time off for his medical appointments and therapies, leaving us no time together as a family.”
She made the decision not to go back to her fulltime role after her third maternity leave, but knew she couldn’t afford not to work in some shape or form. “We couldn’t live off one salary so it was a worrying few months racking my brain to try and think of some small way to contribute to the household.”
As is often the case, her business idea came about organically and unexpectedly. “I made a vintage scrabble tile frame for my family and shared it on social media, and I was bowled over with the reaction. Friends ordered them, then friends of friends, and the business grew into what it is now. I feel unbelievably lucky that I’ve found my niche.” Five years on, her business designing and creating bespoke frames
(LoveLetterArts.com) is still going strong. Aisling works from home while her four children are at school and crèche, and at night when they’re in bed. Understandably, that comes with challenges. “It’s just me to answer emails, do admin, accounts, resolve customer issues and make the product; it’s hard to tend to all sides equally. I think people are so used to dealing with a team, they presume someone is online constantly to answer. Because I work in the morning and look after the kids in the afternoon, I am often up late at night answering emails. So the hours can be long if you let them be. I’m slowly learning to pare back, and that it’s all right if I’m not constantly available.”
Financially, self-employment is not for the faint-hearted. “The pay sucks!” says Aisling. “By the time I’ve paid for supplies and stock, paid tax and margined in lost parcels or faulty stock, I earn pennies. I hate to think how much below the minimum wage I earn.”
So why does she do it? “I love the creativity it affords me. My head spins constantly with new ideas and colour palettes and I love finally getting to execute a thought I’ve had in my head for months. I also love the flexibility it gives me. If the kids are sick or my son has an appointment, I can juggle the workload around it. My husband is a huge support and often takes the four kids off at the weekend so I can catch up on work. I am constantly learning new techniques, new skills, new materials. It’s never ending, so there is no time to get bored or restless. I can honestly say I love what I do, and I think that’s a very, very blessed thing to be able to say and feel.”