Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Crafting for Profit Isn't for Me

 

Crafting, handwork, sewing, scrapbooking, floral design, beadwork, jewelry making ... whatever name or label you want to give to the creativity one does. These are the ones I do and feel I'm pretty good at. I've won awards at various county fairs for some of my sewing, I've also had my rubber stamped cards used as design inspiration for classes. I've also been 'hired" to do silk floral arrangements for weddings ...back in the day when silk was popular. But now, I'm just spending my time crafting because I want to, not because I've got a deadline or have to.

For a while, I jumped on the bandwagon and opened an Etsy store to sell some of the things I made. I had Tarot envelopes and spread cloths. Then I went into embellished hats and hat pins. I made arm warmers and fingerless gloves. Things I thought were unique and had a decent chance of selling so I could support my crafting habit. Many of my friends were successful and were also so encouraging, I gave in and dove in ...deep. So deep, I became frazzled and frustrated over the amount of things I wanted to "stock" in that shop. I even opened a shop on the new dedicated to Pagan artisans Amaranth came about.

Then one day I had an epiphany! I despise crafting when I have a deadline. I get annoyed when I HAVE to have something ready for any given reason. I want to make things when I want to make them and not for any other reason. My crafting is my hobby. Yes, many people make money from their hobby and I'm behind them 100%, but for me, crafting is my relaxation time, my way to keep my mind focused and my hands busy. Thankfully, my husband works hard at driving his big ass truck and I don't need to work outside the home or sell the things I make.

So, I went into my craft room and began cleaning out the things I'd stashed away for when I felt like adding them to the inventory on Etsy and Amaranth. I closely examined the things I had made and as I went through them, I began stacking some of them into different piles. There was no rhyme or reason to the piles, just this one here and that one there and then another over there too. At the end of it, I decided, from now on, when I make something, it will be with the intention of having something personal to do for my well being and sanity. Once any given project is complete, I may or may not gift it to someone. Those items that aren't gifted will remain in the box and I'll pull them out sometime in the future.

But, I can tell you. The gifts that are given for birthdays and Yule will more than likely be handmade with love. I'm over being stressed for the holidays and it's time to make some changes ... the Etsy and Amaranth stores have been closed and I'm not interested in maintaining an inventory.