Our second Merry-Go-Round post coincides with Halloween, so the question this month is: "What's the scariest part of creating?"
I have to change the question a bit, because for me there are several scary bits in crafting...
*Time: It goes, it flies, it disappears when I'm crafting. 3 hours vanish and it feels I've only sat down and worked for half-an-hour. There isn't enough time in the world for me to create all the designs I have whirling in my head. Some of them will never see the light of day...
*Taste: Are there really many people out there who like what I make? Or do most think that I am full of myself, that I'm really nothing special, neither's my jewellery, and I shouldn't really be allowed to present such rubbish work to the public... I tend to forget the positive reactions my jewellery receives, and focus on the negative ones. One person may look at one item, and decide that the rest isn't worth looking at. Ever. And there's nothing I can do about it...
*Self-confidence: I always look at Artists' jewellery (I'm a crafter, not an artist), and I sigh and wish I had the skills to make such beautiful art, and it gets me down and I look at my creations and they are nowhere near their standards and is it really worth carrying on? and I'll never be able to make gorgeous things etc...until I kick myself in the butt and remember that they, too, had to start somewhere. And anyway, I can't stop making jewellery. So tough tities to those who don't like my stuff.
*Have I got it? Have I lost it? Have I ever had it????
*Creator's block: Some days, nothing works. I start a new project, but it's not hanging right, it's not symetrical, it's too heavy, the colours look horrendeous together, the shape's wrong, it just does not look right, etc... In every creation there's a part of me, so I feel empty when it goes wrong.
*Compulsion: The more something looks wrong, the more I want to get it right, I will change details, redo sketches, make another piece from scratch only to toss it aside or allofasuddenIgetinarageandIthrowitaccrosstheroom, and *sigh* get depressed for a few hours... I also absolutely HAVE to get up in the middle of the night to try a design that's just popped in my head. Drives husband crazy.
*Moving forward: where do I go from here? Having an online shop has been a great experience and the bane of my crafting existence. I lost myself trying to think about what would sell, rather than create what I would like to wear... I'm still trying to find a style of jewellery rather than lots of different ones. I don't feel it's merged yet. The more skills I learn, the more I want to learn, the more confused I get.
Tremendous fun though, wouldn't change a thing.
Please go read the Merry-Go-Rounders' answer to this Halloween scary question:
(Direct links are near the top on your right)
http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com
http://fancypicnic.blogspot.com
http://lilypangart.blogspot.com
http://florcitasart.blogspot.com
http://halfanacreblog.blogspot.com
http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com
Happy Halloween!!!
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7 comments:
There's so much I want to say!! I guess 'yes'to everything!!!
Will others like what I like/make?? Will they? What if they don't like it? What if I don't sell anything?
Fraught with anxiety...but would you swap it? No, nor me!
Great read...and when you read it, you realise that it isn't scary, it's just what makes it....FUN!!
It's crazy isn't it... we are all here saying very similar things, on our merry go rounds and yet sometimes I find myself feeling isolated about it!
I'm glad we all shared our experience... you have helped me to spread a smile of friendship across my face!
Don't let the negativity get you and enjoy what you do is my moto!
Sxx
Fabs! You are Fab! and don't forget it! Yes, I have similar feelings as you...and listing things in stores is really putting myself out there - not the necklace and earrings. And do you know what really helps me feel better about it - YOU! When I send you something to translate for Dawanda, you are always so positive and encouraging. I may be feeling like I shouldn't be listing something - yet you ALWAYS boost me up. If I ever learnt French, I'd still want to send you my listings just because your support means so much to me! Thanks for being Fab!
I worry that my designs are too bright and bold sometimes - the british are so conservative in how they decorate their homes - you see loads of washed/sanded wood fish on the market - sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't do that too just to get more sales. Hmmmmmmm
I think most of all share the same concerns. to me they dont quilify as scares but that depends on each person, right?
I think, YES, keep going. I know it is hard to not care what others think, because we all do. None of us lives in a bubble ...but the key is to find a balance between what you like, what comes out of you naturally and what the more biz side of the whole thing demands... a balance between what makes you unique (which you develop and get only by being true to your art) and what the public is looking for.
If you just pay attention to the public, then you will not be creating what you like and what makes yoou unique, but just a mix of what others want... and that is ussually much more difficult to sell and the other person can tell.
I like your jewellery, I really do. We are all learning and maybe in 5 yrs we look at what we are making today and laugh... but the key is to enjoy what you are doing...now. The rest will come.
Good luck!
All the points you raised here echo with me. I have the same feeling and fears. I also feel that I lost myself to think what would sell.
I found any good thing finally can sell, it just that some are more popular and some only very few people like it.
One Chinese saying is that half bucket of water sounds louder than full one. If you know more you feel that more you don't know. Which is good.
I truly believe that success is not the goal. The joy of purchasing our dream is the ultimate goal.
Bon, et bien je suis ravie d'avoir été aussi lapidaire (trad : une feignasse) dans ma réponse, parce que tout ce que tu expliques si clairement et avec humour me concerne aussi... Sauf que je suis encore bien bien plus débutante et dispersée que toi ! Tes bijoux sont superbes et je suis sûre que même les gens qui n'ont pas envie de les porter ne peuvent que le voir !!
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