Oddly enough, my working philosophy is still "Work slower. Finish faster." It's true. I never rush. It works for me.
In my bits of time in between mothering, housekeeping, dawdling, cooking, playing - I finished up, photographed and listed this lovely leafy brooch
and a pair of darling sweetheart rose earrings, both available in my Etsy shop.
I do not always work efficiently. I daydream. I get distracted by five other projects, a texture, sunlight on dust... I stop to clean house, fix snacks for kids, and play on facebook, among other things.
So when someone implied that I must work fast or cheap recently, I was a bit offended. I know how what I need, and I know what to charge for the pieces- no explanation necessary. Let me be clear, not modest this time, I am very good at what I do.
I understand the feeling. Sometimes I browse through Etsy thinking, wow that is way too cheap or wow, that is more than I would ever pay. I used to be bothered by the too-cheaps and jealous of the too-highs. Somewhere along the way I got over it.
This is what the internet, ebay, and other online selling venues have done for us. They have democratized the selling process. Anyone slightly tech-savvy, with a digital camera, can get on and sell their work. It doesn't matter whether he or she is a crafter, artist, hobbyist, housewife, retiree, teenager, part-timer or full-timer. It doesn't matter whether the person is serious or casual. We all get on and essentially compete with each other in many of the same highly visible places.
The hobbyist who just wants to make enough money to buy new supplies will sell his wares quite possibly in the same venue as the full time artisan trying to support her entire family. That's reality. We should rejoice in the freedom of the system, and work within it, rather than comparing and criticizing each other. We American artists/crafters/artisans do not work in a system where knowledge and pricing is restricted in order to control prices. We have to accept and rejoice in the online sales venue, that results in a wide variety of goods, quality and prices within the handmade market. I love being able to connect with all sorts of creative people through blogs, discussion forums, and other social networking sites. We should be proud of a system that brings creativity and pride into so many lives.
