Here I am, waking up at 4:30am thinking about all the things on my Etsy shop to-do list. I need to work my full time job, take care of my family, add more items to my shop, take photos of the new items, make new items, figure out the whole FaceBook mess I have going, participate in the D Lister message board, check the forums, Twitter, buy some supplies, and oh, research that BNR thing (what the hell is that!) ahhhhhhh.
Then it hit me while I was counseling someone else on slowing down and smelling the roses, that I also need to slow down. It's so funny how we get all caught up in the frenzy. And there is this sense of urgency that is really kind of stupid to me. What's the rush? Is it that we see the new listing flying by and think.. OMG I better hurry, keep up, oh crap, I'm getting behind. HA! In reality, many of us will never be able to keep up with the gazzilion items on Etsy and will always be struggling to rise above the bottom. And for some of you who do this full time, I can understand the need to move at a fast pace and get stuff done. But there is always more than one way to be successful. So, I'm giving myself a break. I still plan to work on that never ending to-do list, but... instead of flying through it like a check-box junkie, I'm going to be calm and systematic about it. Just a few things at a time. Take some time to enjoy other artisans work without wondering how I can compete or compare. Take more time to figure out the things about promoting that I don't understand and know that in time, my success will happen organically... in it's own time, the way it should for me. I still want to sell, and be a successful seller, but on my own terms darn it! Whew... I feel a lot better now.
Anyone else feeling the frenzy? What's your take on it?
Could you counsel me on this issue too! :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, yeah... we all need the reminder every now and then.
ReplyDeleteI purposely waited until I retired from full-time work to take all this on...and frankly, it's just as much work as a full-time job, without the actual financial incentives...I figure that luckily for me, I have a bare-bones pension that means that I can indulge myself in this kind of so-far-not-so-profitable endeavor...the difference is that I don't have a family to distract or need me, and I don't have to be a starving artist...not that a little starvation isn't good for the soul, but I did all that when I was younger and thought I'd be the great post-Surrealist painter...now I just crochet semi-surreal hats and hope for the best...I wish you the same!
ReplyDeleteI too work full time, create art, market it, and sell... it's a tough thing to juggle.
ReplyDeleteI was getting really stressed about my to-do list that I had put together for my shop, but I was coming down with a cold so I decided to forget it all and take a nap. Well, I woke from my nap to find that I had sold two items while I was sleeping. Lesson learned.
Do the best that you can in your situation, hang in there!!!
bayatinge... so true. it happened to me today. I wrote my "slow down" post, and sold 3 items today! funny how life works. Happy for your success too!
ReplyDeleteYeah! Great job!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right. Here here.
ReplyDeletei'll go pour a glass of wine and calm down a bit..
and get you with the 7 sales, you'll be moving up to the c list soon!
ReplyDeleteHa! Red Bird, have one for me. And the 7 sales... a fluke. Most of them happened just in the recent few weeks... about the same time Chrisy and I started the D Listers. I think they are good luck. But they are also supportive and have a lot of great info. Case in point, one of them suggested that I use the term Tiffany Blue instead of Aqua as that is a popular blue term right now... and as soon as I changed the titles and descriptions, I made 3 sales. That's the power of support and encouragement!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for including me in this team. I sincerely appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteCheers Monique
http://originalmischief.blogspot.com
Thanks for the post. What a great reminder! Having a system instead of a to do list helps me more than anything.
ReplyDeleteI so hear you!!
ReplyDeleteI do pretty well at getting the offline aspects of my to-do list done -- making items, photographing, ordering business cards (which I finally did last night!). Most of the time I can set priorities for the evening (as I'm stuck at my day job all day) and if I get one major thing done per day, I feel good about that.
It's the promotion that kills me. Twitter, flickr, facebook, posting in other forums that might have more buyers than Etsy sellers. I could spend all day on that!
I feel like I kind of am in a rush because we are heading into a super-busy 80-hours-a-week season at my day job and I feel like I need to work way ahead so my shop doesn't suffer over the next few months when I know I won't even have the energy to eat. I really do admire your attitude. Definitely something for me to work on.
Darlene
http://www.DoBatsEatCats.etsy.com
Sandy I really love your blog :) Every time I read a new post it makes me smile. Especially this one since I was the one you were counseling about slowing down. Sometimes I find myself getting so wrapped up in this whole team thing I forget about my housework, making stuff for the shop etc. My husband comes home and is like dude what's going on? You look freaked out, stressed, the house is a mess...you need a break. So i've decied to go take some time off today (friday) and go over and visit some friends that I haven't seen in a long time. I think this will be nice and i'm really looking forward to it. I've been working on some leisure projects for a couple of days now and it's really allowed me to let loose and really remember why I do this in the first place. :) To make something that i'm proud of that someone else will use and love. Putting my heart into each thing I put my hands on and making sure that a little bit of my hippie love goes with each item.
ReplyDeleteYay HippieChick! I'm so proud. Your taking some time for yourself. That is terrific, and it really is what we need to refresh, renourish and let our creative juices flow again. And isn't that really what it's all about for some of us? Thi insatiable need to create and share. So when it starts to become and obligation to the point of distraction, you HAVE to step back and regroup. Let's call it taking a D Break!
ReplyDeleteI just got around to reading your post, and wish that I had so much sooner. Thank you...thank you, thank you
ReplyDeleteAlso a late reader,,, because I'm stressed out about the same things!
ReplyDeleteThanks for making me feel less alone in this overwhelming process.
Thank you so much for your post on the DList forum about feeling overwhelmed. I took your advice and decided to make a list and conquer one thing at a time. Thanks to twocatscreative posting a how to guide on making a facebook fan page, I've conquered that one! Woooo Hooo I am woman hear me roar :) If you would please fan me http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/wwwmycrochetgardenetsycom/181212377844?ref=mf
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading your advice and tips on setting up google analytics. That's the next thing on my to do list. Thanks again I feel empowered.