Path of the starving artist

Well I am trying to make the statement of the starving artist untrue. How you might ask? Fortunately I have been born with two wonderful gifts, one is that I am a very savy business woman and the other is the gift that I have a talent for designing jewelry. I don't design the typical beaded jewelry most people think of when they think of handmade jewelry (plastic beads strung together with twine). I have very expensive taste in stones and crystals. I started out making jewelry when I was saving money to travel europe with a back pack. I needed a second job so I applied at the local bead shop. One of the requirements to work there was to take the classes and be able to teach to customers when they came in. I was immediately hooked once I got my hands on all the precious and semi-precious stones in the shop! I was having the time of my life combining colors and textures that most people would not combine. Anyways.....once I got back from Europe I started selling my jewelry to people and was amazed that people would actually pay for my creations! So I was working in realestate as an asssistant and definitely had my target market of clientele - Realtors! Realtors love to dress up and look good, praise God for that. I live in the North West where the majority of people wear jeans and a T-shirt to work! Ok, that is enough for now. My point is that I am trying to balance my business skills as well as my creative skills to become a succesful artist.