The Art of Invisibility

So, I have discovered that one of the  most sought after super powers in human history is incredibly simple to attain. I have achieved invisibility! . . .

Well, all right, I haven't really, but as far as my bead shop on Etsy goes I might as well have done. . . As the powers that be at Etsy tend to do, they are tinkering and fiddling behind the scenes, but this time it's radical fiddling and it's messing a lot of thing up.

I suspect the tinkering etc is only part of the story, I do understand that retail is not predictable but when your views drop by half suddenly and don't recover over a period of three weeks, and sales dry up for a much longer period than what passes for normal, conspiracy theories start to come into play.

The psychological effect is surprising. If you had asked me how I would take a situation like this, I would have sworn blind that I could suck it up and stay calm, but disconcertingly, I find myself worrying about what I might have done wrong or how I might have lost touch with my audience etc etc. I find myself losing motivation to make stuff, even though I know this is a silly over reaction. So I seem to be more reliant on others reactions to my work than I imagined. I guess that is useful information.

I now know a bit more about myself, and my motivations. And what I should really address in order to have a better relationship with my work. I want to make my work stand on my terms and I have obviously been distracted by the idea of the approval of others. . .
I'm not beating myself up about this you understand, just having a bit of a rant.

And, 'predictably' in the overnight pause between me writing the above and getting round to posting it I have had a large order come in that just about makes up for the lack of sales in the past week or two. . . ;-)

You gotta laugh, innit?

Funny thing is, this morning when I woke up, I just felt better, I felt a bit lighter somehow, as if something had lifted. Then the order came in, and the broody chicken has returned to normal behaviour, and the ducks have had 13 ducklings, along with the five little moorhen chicks on the pond. Must be the full moon. . .

Quality, Quantity and my 'worrying strategy'. . .

A recent necklace idea, completely irrelevant to this post. I'm just trying to work more finished pieces and see where that takes me.

I keep intending to post more often, but life gets in the way and I realise it's been ten days since I engaged your attention with my somewhat less than fascinating current activity ;-)

Alongside keeping the house in its hard won state of minimal clutter and unreal cleanliness, for the benefit of house viewers, of which there have been three or four so far, I have been over analysing my creative and commercial goings on, like I do. .
( For instance, I worry about whether I should or shouldn't be worrying, and whether there are more important things to worry about. You have to prioritise your worrying after all. Imagine how you would feel if you found out you had spend all that precious worrying time worrying about the wrong thing ;-) a worrying thought. . .)

You see, there is the question of quantity. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? People say 'Quality not quantity' as if they were mutually exclusive, implying that you should limit your output, as being prolific is somehow cheapening your brand.
Then other people put forward the idea that giving potential customers a lot of choices is a good thing, 'If you don't put it up for sale, nobody can buy it' is their angle.

So, the two extremes are - 'Only hit them with your absolute very best stuff', versus - 'Get the stuff out there and let the market decide.' Both are perfectly logical, you just have to decide which applies to what you are doing, or making. So really, it comes down to you. Nobody can decide for you and even the most sage advice can only be a generalisation which might not apply to you at all. All of which is really annoying if, like me, you want some easy rules to follow. . . Bah!

My angle (at the moment anyway) is that you can be prolific and make good quality things, it just depends what kind of things we are talking about - rustic, hand made beads, yes, fabergé eggs, no.

My trouble is that at the stage in my bead/jewelry making adventure, I am constantly discovering new (to me) things I can make, new options I can take, and new uses for techniques and for stuff I have made. I make something I think is cool, and want to make a load more of them, so I do. I get all enthusiastic and inspired, after all, 'following the fascination' is what I am all about.
So, does the fact that I have ten different sets of textured disk beads mean I shouldn't put them all up for sale?
Does the fact that I have twenty great designs that could look equally good on tie tacks, rings and stud earrings mean that I shouldn't go right ahead and make twenty of each of those and put them in my shop? My instinct is that this would be a bad idea, but there isn't a strong argument either way. As it only costs 20 cents to list something on Etsy the 'Throw it all at the wall and see what sticks' approach is very tempting.

Being fairly cautious, (something else I could have good worry about. . .) I will keep to the middle ground and list a few new things to test the water, but that denies me what could be useful feedback about customer preferences, so might be a less than useful compromise. . .
etc etc etc etc etc

Oh well, I guess it's called 'learning'.

Jon x

Clayhem, no more. . .

BEFORE - working with a bit of MDF sat on top of an open drawer as a work surface, with all the random boxes of stuff strewn around. Not to mention the tatty curtains, bits of 80's recording gear, guitar cases and boxes of blank tiles and coasters etc etc etc etc etc etc in the background. . .

AFTER - makeover time. . . I put this spare washstand/writing desk in the corner (top left in the clayhem pic), put a bit of foamboard on top to protect it, stuck a big tile I rescued from the dump on top to work on and arranged all the things I use most around that. The best thing is that I can leave them all there and come back to them as and when I have time/motivation. The shelving on the left is where the beads, clay, texture sheets and wire etc live, in various "Wham boxes" (which seem to be in shops everywhere these days). I'm addicted to storage boxes with compartments now. . . Pliers and other tools are in the drawer on the right, printed images in the drawer on the left.

The fast food container that seems to contain a urine like liquid is actually full of water that was used to clean yellow acrylic ink off a brush in case you were worried, or thought I had a secret ingredient in my work. . . I also use it to cool beads out of the halogen oven (floor, bottom left)

Notice the new curtains (OK, not new, charity shop, six full length velvet curtains for £25. Result!) and notice that I painted the wall, whoo! . . .

This is all part of getting the house in order so we can sell it in a month or two, but whatever the motivation it's nice to have a dedicated workspace for claying and jewellery work.

The interesting and unexpected knock on effect of all this order imposing activity is phychological. I feel calmer, and more in control now that I occupy a more ordered space. I wasn't aware of feeling particularly stressed or depressed before but I am aware of not feeling that way so can only assume that I must have been feeling that way to some extent. Well well. . .

cheers,

Jon x