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1/12/10

Affrimations for the Crafter


When I read this I busted out laughing! This sign is featured at www.LennyMud.etsy.com and reading it makes me know that I am not alone in my feelings of inadequacy. When you put your art or craft up for sale, you all of all of a sudden put all your artistic confidence up on the market as well. I am glad to know that I am not the only one that falls victim to the ‘why aren’t I good enough’ or ‘why did someone else get featured on the front page instead of me’ thoughts. It is like I am in 2nd grade all over again and I wonder why Joseph’s stupid lollipop tree was put on the board and my clearly more intricate tree wasn’t! I wonder if the glue he eats gave him more creative flare then me? Maybe I should take up eating glue…

I do fall into the rut of feeling like my sales or visibility of my shop is what determines if I am successful. Apparently I am not the only one since all it takes is a few moments reading postings under the ‘Critique’ section on Etsy forum boards to know we all feel the same way. We have all grown up and we are still waiving are arms around saying ‘notice me’, ‘tell me I am okay’ and ‘anyone please give me a compliment’, just like we did in the second grade. I have posted on there, and it has served as my ‘I am okay’ fix for a few days. I know this makes me seem needy, but lets just all admit that we are artsy fartsy people and we feed off of it. We need people to like us and our work. If we weren’t we would work for the IRS or a bank. I know those people don’t seem to care what I think.

So I continue, plugging away. And everyday I check to see if someone has magically found me among all the thousands of Etsy sellers and chosen me to be their seller. I also continue to try and make more connections with artistic and creative people that I can focus on what is really important. This is about letting the creative part of me out and not hiding behind my fears of rejection or failure.

Here is to a day full of positive thoughts.. even if you aren’t featured on the front page!

Have a Gleeful Day!

Nikki 

P.S. Thank you Lenny Mud for making such a fabulous piece that makes us all know we are not alone! 

5 comments:

  1. I feel this way all the time..It can be really frustrating sometimes when all the work seems in vain and pointless. We are putting our hearts into our creations and no one seems to notice them.. but the important thing is that we are trying..and creating.. some people give up. I'm glad you won't, and neither will I.

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  2. Trust me, you don't need to eat glue to make awesome things...you already do that!!! :)

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  3. I have hit a rough patch and this blog post just made my ENTIRE day, and maybe tomorrow. Just the motivation I needed to keep working. I hate how sometimes no sales, or hearts, or views brings me to a point where I do not want to craft. then I snap back and remember, I am not doing this to sell stuff. that is secondary, I craft because I love it.

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  4. Thanks for the comments! Keep crafting, and making. Without people to do this (no matter the exposure or sales) the world would not be such an amazing and beautiful place!

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  5. LOVE THIS!!! wish I had seen that in my first month of waiting and feeling like I was sitting outside in the rain on a cold dank day waiting for my first sale - while everyone else was inside warm and dry enjoying their sales in the hundreds and thousands! kg

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