No one probably even noticed, since the blog-o-sphere is so full of chatter, but I haven’t blogged in a long time. Life got overwhelming, as it sometimes does. I go through phases with jewelry creation, and there are times when I completely lose my creative urge, or I just get busy, or I find that other steps in the process take priority.
For example, sometimes I sit down to make jewelry only to realize that I’m out of a key component, like earring wires. That means an hour or so is spent shaping and hammering, rather than designing – but it’s got to happen. And making earring wires isn’t very creative.
One step in the process
And then I decided that in order to really stand out in the jewelry space on Etsy, my main selling location, I needed to kick my photography into a higher gear. So I signed up for an online photography course that alternately challenged, enlightened, and infuriated me. My photography has improved, and I understand the concepts much better, but I’ve had to change so many things about my process that it’s really slowed down the creative part of my business. And going back and re-shooting all my work has been incredibly time-consuming – and seriously frustrating when I have the occasional bad shoot.
The photo booth
And I splurged on some marketing advice from another Etsy seller – even though I’m a marketing professional in my day job, the work I do at the office is so different from the work I do in the studio that I was sure I could learn something… and I did. But implementing all the things recommended is like learning a golf swing – just 175 simple steps….
Am I complaining? No. I’m glad I’ve spent some time this year learning and improving, because growth is very important. But I’m really, REALLY ready to get back to making more beautiful jewelry. And on my path to growth I’m also taking on new techniques in silversmithing, so look for even more frustration and excitement!
divakamidesign 