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. . .
Those blue beads took my breath away for a second Jon. They are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteSorry - but there's a bit of an approval from an audience member...but really - they are stunning!
Have you looked back at your records to see if there is usually a dip in sales at this time of the year? It is an odd time all the way around and people get into a funk at this time and do nothing - think nothing - create nothing. It's February blahs carried on into March and April just because it does. It's weird. We think it's not going to happen - again - to us but it does. Whammo! And then suddenly - it's spring and things are growing and creating starts tickling the back of our brains again.
If you do check your records (I'm thinking you have some probably) let me know. I'd be interested.
As for Etsy. Well - I don't sell on Etsy at all. I think competing against the 20 million or is it now 30 million plus people who do sell on Etsy has to be incredibly hard. You either need an absolutely brilliant site or brilliant work to stand out above the crowd and rocket to the moon.
Since you were featured I'm sure that has helped improve your sales. You're one of the lucky ones - but then again - you do have your style which is quite unique as well.
K - enough drivel from me. It's snowing here. I'm not impressed with that.
yeah, I do need to look at last year's stats and see what was happening then. The views dip is the more odd thing I think, that seems like some Etsy search tweak that has affected how visible my stuff is.
DeleteI'm glad you like the blue beads, thanks. I like them too ;-)
Snow? Not very Spring like. . . We are getting a fair bit of sun, but chilly when the clouds roll in. Still, pretty nice.