this is an email that i just sent to greta.
i thought i would share it.
not for sympathy.
but to hear that you fabulous crafters that i am referring to have felt the same way.
at least that is what i am hoping for.
i did this to myself last year for the craft fair so i don't know why i didn't expect it again.
i don't know.
I am so aggravated I can't even stand myself. Why is it that there are so many fabulous crafters out there that come out with these wonderful ideas that I can't think of? I mean that craft fair is in a month and I hardly have anything for it. Not only that, but my stuff is so simple. I mean anyone can do what I do, so why pay for it? I already know what you are going to tell me, but it gets so frustrating when you blog and see all this wonderful stuff out there. I'm mostly looking around for inspiration but I don't feel inspired. I actually feel the opposite. I feel frustrated.
I guess I just put so much pressure on myself to get this stuff done and have it be fabulous. It so hard to tell what will sell and what won't. Things feel so behind down here.
it also doesn't help that my stuff is everywhere at mom's. I really wanna do some stuff with fabric, but I think all my fabric is in the storage unit....grrr!!!
I don't know.
I think I'm going to post this email right now. There have got to be other crafters out there that have felt the same way.
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18 comments:
I'm mostly looking around for inspiration but I don't feel inspired. I actually feel the opposite. I feel frustrated
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um yeah..I could have written that word for word. Even more frustrating is all the simple stuff I come up with still takes me like 5 hours and with the little time I have..I feel nothing gets done or to my standards. But Hang in there girl. We all have those moments of frustration but then those moments of genius strike and we are forever more grateful. I'm sure you will rock the craft fair!
Well, I didn't expect this type of message to come from you. I personally have always been impressed with your style, and the unique goods you sold in your etsy shop.
I guess the thing to keep in mind is that most people out there are not "like us." Though we may see something as "simple" to make, other people can't imagine making anything on their own. Then you add your own personal touches or show off your ability to pick out the perfect fabrics/paper to complete a project, and people think you are a genius!
Also it's good to keep in mind who the shoppers will be at the craft show. If they prefer traditional craft items, there is no need to stress trying to think of something new and more *modern.* Kits might be fun - like a little baggie full of stuff to make their own Scrabble ornament, like you had for sale last year. Then, they can brag to their friends that they actually made something for once!
I know you will come up with the perfect thing(s) for the craft fair!!
I felt exactly the same about 10 days ago, feeling for feeling. I think it's the panic and self doubt that has to come before you get really productive.
And "anyone can do what I do" - maybe, but they DON'T and you do. So just get through this little blip and soon you'll be enjoying a fab fair and rightly proud of what you have achieved.
yeah i gotcha!
100%
i stopped scrapping
and surfin' peas
i can't take it
i'll do it again when the time is right
i've been feeling the same way too lately, but i just tell myself that i do this for me and no one else. i don't worry about what other people do and i don't worry about what "style" is. style can't be defined, and shouldn't be. everyone does their own thing, and that's great. your work is fab, girl, and don't you lose sight of why you do this and WHO you do this for. ok?
for every person that you feel awed by, there are just as many who feel awed by you. remember that babycakes.
ok?
ok
I feel this way too. Another problem is that I get super inspired, but when I sit down to craft, I can't think of a single thing to do. I see all these things I wanna try, and then I just can't remember them when I want to try them, does that make sense?
I think a lot of it is seeing things that inspire, but they aren't necessarily my style. And I have no idea what my style is.
No help here, but I can totally relate!
girl, your simple is someone else's complicated!! Don't stress about what other people think or want, especially for craft fairs. I am finding what is good for one set of people is not so good for another...seriously. I can't read people for shit. And remember some people buy the stuff to figure out how to make it themselves..like me! And those are sales too baby!
Take a deep breath and as a wise person once told me (and I was deeply offended at first), "It's only crafts." Then I realized it meant just have fun at it, that's what it's all about.
I completely inderstand! You are NOT alone. The thing to keep in mind is to do what you love, do what is fun to you. Even if you're making the same 'thing' as Jane Doe, it is still 'you' because you made it. That's one thing I have learned by seeing all that us crafty bloggers create. Even when we make the same thing, they all turn out different, KWIM? Give yourself a break and have FUN!!! Remember, part of the fun is the creating itself ;-)
yep.
I think that's what happened to my scrappin.
I kept seeing shit that was amazing and way better than I ever thought I could do.
I got overwelmed and now I feel like I can't create to save my life.
I think sometimes you just need to step away from it all.
Focus on other things...and it will all come back when it it ready.
I don't kwow if any of that just made sense...
just know that we ALL feel that way from time to time.
xoxoxox.
I agree with everyone else's comments above esp spazzgirl "your simple is someone else's complicated!!" Very well stated! When I get frustrated that my stuff stinks I remember that I'm really creating it for my family and friends anyway. When you are trying to sell it I can see how that would be more pressure to be "great". Even though it might seem like everyone in the world is crafty I think we forget that most arent so I guess we shouldnt stress to hard and give ourselves a break - it should be fun right! I bet once your craft stuff is all arranged in your new house your gonna rock your own socks off!
I could have written that too! When I feel as you do, I walk away from it all and then later come back and organize my desk - I usually feel re-inspired to create! Don't give up! You'll get your mojo back! :)
Laurie
Hey, go check out elsie flannigan's blog. She's got pics of her inspiration notebook. You could try jotting down or sketching or pasting clips of things that inspire you, and flip through and try them and add your own flair or whatever. Just a thought...wanna help ya!
i was just gonna say that about elsie's blog and finding your own style. there definetly is a period of self doubt and uninspiration before that burst of creativity. hang in there. we all get it. its part of it. keep pushing through. they key is doing something else why you're waiting for that creativity. a work in progress. i always used to have a piece of canvas i would paint to sort of *prime me* before i would start to paint my "real painting". work on a primer, to get the flow going. you'll get it back. we all do. that's the best part. :)
It sounds like you are putting so much pressure on yourself that you don't need. You are naturally crafty and it will come to you. Look to your kids for insperation. They are by far my biggest insight into uniqueness. Relax, this is suppose to be fun right?
Hey we all feel like this sometimes and not just about crafting.
see i knew you weren't the only one that felt like that!!
Your on a roll now sista..just get busy...oh yeah and stop thinking of things for me to do to while ya at it!! bwhahaha
girl I'm sorry you feel so frustrated, you may need to go shopping or something, to take your mind off of it, plus you may see something that will get the ideas going, it works for me most of the time
I find that the sleep deprivation of being a mommy has a major influence on my creativity. Lately i feel like my brain is bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa if I try to come up with anything off of the top of my head. I can copy other peoples designs, but just too mentally exhausted to do much more. I try to remember that it is only for a season and when they are older I will have more "thinking time". Hopefully.
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