What are you worth?

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Pricing and profit sometimes seem to be dirty words when talking about handmade goods. It's all about the urge to create, right? But what about the reality that in order to be able to create, we need to be able to sustain our business and ourselves?

It's funny--ask someone if the company or organization pays them what they are worth, and they'll probably readily admit "No! I definitely deserve to be paid more!" So why is it, when we are the ones in charge, we are so reluctant to give ourselves a living wage?

"Pricing and profit sometimes seem to be dirty words when talking about handmade goods."

I have been doing a lot of thinking about pricing structure lately. I've realized that if I don't begin pricing my creations like I am in a business, I won't be able to afford to keep creating. Making almost anything costs money, not just for supplies, but in my labor. If I am under-charging myself, I will burn out from the pace that I need to keep just to make cheaper items to sell (notice I didn't say cheaply *made*--there's a huge difference). I will certainly become frustrated, and most definitely working on my creations will become a chore--and nobody likes doing chores.

I plan on doing some research, and I will happily share my finding with you, though I know not everyone will agree with how I decide to price my creations. And that is OK. We all need to find that balance between allowing our business to not just survive, but thrive, while staying true to ourselves.

But for now, I challenge everyone to look at the hourly wage you are "paying" yourself. It may take a little bit of calculating if you haven't been breaking your pricing formula down already, but do it. See the number. And ask yourself, are you getting paid what you are worth?

Conquering Fear

At different times in my life, people have told me that I appear courageous. In some ways, yes, I am pretty fearless. But when it comes to being creative and putting myself "out there", I often find myself so frozen by fear that I look at the raw materials in front of me, and simply walk away.

That is really, really sad.

When we make something by hand, and especially if we try to sell it, it becomes very easy to identify one's creative identity with those things that others "approve" of through their act of purchasing. This is more than just a good business practice of producing what we know our customers want. Those who have the urge to create know that this urge doesn't give a hoot about what's trendy or selling well. But our egos do. And our egos can overtake our thoughts, telling us that anything new or untested in the market isn't worth our time. What if you spend two hours on this necklace design and no one buys it? What if no one else likes that color combination in your hand and that scarf sits in your shop forever? What if you try and fail?

If you fail? So what.

What if we all make a pact to step outside of our comfort zone? At least once a week, or even once a month, we choose different materials to create with, or try a new design or technique? Set aside an hour or two and just play. What you end up with may be godawful ugly, or it may surprise you with its beauty.

I've made this pact with myself recently. When I make jewelry, I tend to string beads in a nice, orderly pattern...which is classic, right? And boring. Really boring. So I am forcing myself to step away from the beading wire and finally try all of those wire-wrapping techniques, and to use other materials to compliment my lampwork beads. My first bracelet exceeded my expectations:

So stop letting fear dictate what you create. And start letting your creativity be your best friend--and business partner.

Quiet doesn't mean without thought....

I've been taking some time to really think about this blog. I was thinking for some time that I wasn't sure what my readers would want from a blog. Then, I realized, I wasn't sure what *I* wanted from this blog.

The need to be creating something is a need I'm sure many of you recognize. This blog is as much a part of that need as crafting a glass bead or piece of jewelry. And, like many of you, my need to create is coupled with a need to share that creation with others. That's why many of us take it as a personal affront when a piece of jewelry doesn't sell, or no one comments on a blog, or someone walks past our painting without a glance to admire another; we are creating so we can connect. When someone doesn't pick up the lifeline we've thrown out to them, it stings.

                                                                   Source: michelleums.tumblr.com via Rocío on Pinterest

This blog is an attempt to connect with other artists. I've been hesitant to put any of my own work up on this blog, because I don't want to abuse it as an advertisement. But I am thinking differently about this lately. I can't ask others to share if I'm not ready to do so myself. I need to take risks. I need to be brave. I need to fail miserably at some things, and discover those hidden talents lurking within.

This doesn't mean that this blog will no longer have "handmade" as its focus. On the contrary, as handmade should be about having a piece of the creative soul within whatever it is you are creating--otherwise, what is the difference between what you make and what some factory worker churns out overseas? Not much, really.

I would still love to hear from all of you. Leave a comment, write a guest post, just reach out and connect. Just don't make the mistake that this blog is all about me. It's about us.

Creativity...in the words of others

Creativity is one of those concepts that people know when they encounter it; but ask them to define creativity, and most will sputter and give a "cop-out" definition (like Webster's does), such as "the act of being creative." Very helpful, Mr. Webster.

Below are some quotes from some great minds, creative minds, and humorous minds on the essence of creativity. Enjoy!

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

     ~Scott Adams, Cartoonist

“Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things.”

   ~Ray Bradbury, Writer

“The chief enemy of creativity is "good" sense.”

   ~Pablo Picasso, Artist

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

   ~Edward de Bono, Psychologist & Writer

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."

   ~Joseph Chilton Pearce, Author

“A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations.” 

   ~Gerald G. Jampolsky, Psychologist & Writer

"The creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept."

   ~John W. Gardner, Educator

 

Friday Fun Finds is Back!

One of my favorite posts was always doing the Friday Fun Finds, so of course, I had to bring them back! I love looking at the work of handmade artists, and this gives me the perfect excuse to spend some time browsing the online shops of the creative.

I'm not sure about where you live, but Spring decided to take her own, sweet time arriving this year. It felt like we were going to have barren trees and dreary, cold days forever! Then, like magic, the trees decided to rebel and unfurled their leaves--one of the sure signs that winter has been kicked to the curb. So in celebration of spring being better late than never, I offer you some beautiful handmade trees.

A gorgeous Carnelian Tree Pendant, by LOC Designs. Found in their Zibbet Shop!

Next, Magnolias no2, a beautiful fine art print, by Jessica Doyle. Found in her Etsy shop.

Finally, this Blackbird and Branches Aluminum Cuff by K. Murphy Designs. Found in their Artfire Shop.

What fun finds have you discovered in our theme of trees?

What is the appeal of handmade?

Photo Courtesy of J>Ro

One thing I hated about doing certain shows, was the fact that the show organizers often had no idea of what quality handmade really meant. I would show up with my handmade jewelry, constructed from my own handmade lampwork beads, and be next to a person selling non-imaginative jewelry, strung with cheap glass bead imports from the local craft shop.

To make things even better, these fellow "handmade" jewelry designers would often come over to my table, cooing how pretty my things were, only to drop them like a hot potato when they saw the price. And believe me, my work was underpriced, if anything. They would often follow up with comments, like, "I could never charge that much for a bracelet/necklace/earrings!"

And they shouldn't. This might offend some readers, but if you are buying a string of $3.99 beads from the local craft store, stringing them on some beading wire with a few mass-produced spacers--that really isn't in the handmade spirit, in my book.

Part of the appeal of handmade is the idea of having a one-of-a-kind product, or at least one that is created with a vision by the artist. I'm really not slamming people who use store-bought supplies (as long as they do not compromise the structural integrity of your piece--but that's another blog post!), nor I am slamming people who try to create on a budget. I've seen gorgeous pieces made from components bought at a Michael's or Jo-Anns, but they were gorgeous because they contained the artist's voice and vision. Thought and heart was put into the pieces.

There is so much more to a piece being handmade than the simple idea that is was created using one's hands. People want something that they feel they could not have created themselves. Anyone can make a pair of earrings, just like anyone can do a color-by-number, or make a bar of soap. People want to feel like they are buying an idea from the artist's mind that they can now enjoy and cherish. They want something that someone else has put some thought into, and felt compelled to create through passion for a craft.

I do realize that this is my opinion, and some out there will think handmade means something totally different. But what do you think? What is the appeal of buying handmade for your customers, or yourself?