I'm not sure what has been keeping me from making ANYTHING over the last almost year. I can make a few guesses though. I feel like I started out 2012 so strong! I opened Across the Sea shop and had the most fun ever creating concepts and putting them into action. I even sold stuff!
And then I realized that in order to maintain an etsy shop you had to keep on promoting yourself.
I am not good at promoting myself.
I hate felling like I am endlessly jumping up and down on facebook or twitter or wherever- waving my arms and shouting, "LOOK LOOK LOOK what I made! You wanna buy it?!"
The funny thing is I hardly ever feel like anyone else does that, but I get so worried about if I am doing that.
So, I just let the shop fade away and die as a happy, distant memory. I think that could have something to do with the end of me creating things.
I didn't need people to buy stuff to keep making it, but having the shop kind of felt that way. I might bring it back someday and it'll be fun again I am sure. I just need to figure out a good way to get the word out without feeling like I am screaming in everyone's faces. Do you know what I mean?
And you know this old poster that has made it's way all around Pinterest?
It's true but, this poster bugs me a little because sure people care- don't be so defensive poster -it's just that everyone has a life.
People should make things because they have to.
Because there is a piece of them screaming to get out!
Because they love it!
Because they have a point of view or they are figuring out their point of view one project at a time.
Because it makes life beautiful and worth living.
Because it's a whole lot better than the alternative.
I haven't made things in a long time because of a lot of reasons and I'm tired of it. It's time to create!
Because I just have to in order to feel like me. Because there's always something screaming to get out and it's not just this third-little-baby-child. Because I absolutely and completely love it. Because I am just starting to realize (duh) that I have a very relentless point of view. Because it makes my life that I love even better! Because it's a whole lot better than a life without seafoam hues, wool felt, watercolor, shells, anchors, and clean lines.
So it's time for a creative revolution on my part! You may not even need it, but if you do too join me!
I hereby promise to have the next thing I make sound like this:
And look like this:
And feel like this:
And smell like this:
And taste like this:
Not literally, but you get it. Sometimes you need to give yourself a little jolt of magic to get going.
