- Wired
I have been busy, with graduation receptions, Father’s day, a wedding, some GARBC conferences – all sorts of good stuff. But I have also tried posting a few things to my ETSY store, like this little wired pendant.
I really love this thing.
But I have discovered that things I love are pretty universally not the things that actually sell.
How do you figure out what will sell, if you sell things? Or do you just make things for the love of making them, and assume “the right person” will find it, when they find it?
Fortunately for me, this is not my main source of income (or I’d be starving, because I haven’t sold anything all year, heh).
How do you figure out what to make? Do you do it for love, or do you do it for fanservice? Where is the balance?
Also, I am taking suggestions, if you can think of something you’d like to see!
Don’t feel too bad; I haven’t sold anything yet this year either. Thankfully my husband supports my art habit. 🙂 I make things that I love to make, and hope that someone else will love it enough to buy. It’s why I quit the rat race and became an artist in the first place — my soul was suffocating because I didn’t love what I was doing. I don’t want to put myself back in that situation.
On the other hand, I do want to contribute to my family’s income; I don’t want to be a mooch forever. 🙂 So I’m trying to come up with a long-term plan that will help my work sell better. That may mean doing some things that aren’t my favorite, like making reproductions or taking commissions, but that’s why they call it work. 🙂 I’ll still be creating things I love, mainly.
I’ve noticed, too, that some of my favorite pieces don’t get fought over. But every now and then, someone comes along who loves a piece I love, and then the wait is worthwhile. So long as I don’t have to, y’know, buy groceries on credit in the meantime. I know I am very fortunate not to be in that situation — if I were, I’d probably be posting something else. 😉
I like to make things that pop into my head (sometimes I get such an overwhelming urge to make something I feel like my head will pop if I don’t let it out), but if it doesn’t sell well or garner much interest, I leave off creating similar items and create something else, even if it is a slight disappointment to me.
There is a very fine balance between figuring out what others like and what you like, and comfortably walking the line so you can catch peoples’ eyes while not going insane catering solely to others.
By the way, I saw those metal backings in the store and was going to pick up a few myself but I was actually able to talk myself out of it for once XD
Wow, that’s frustrating to hear.