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.

Made By Hand. By Me

Of the new social networking sites for handmade artisans, Made By Hand. By Me, is by far my favorite for one very cool reason. Besides being truly devoted to the spirit of handmade (read their story), they have made available a very cool, clickable, gallery tool to showcase your work, or the works of others.

See the little gallery I have off to the right there? ----->

I created this virtual themed gallery with the Spotlight feature available on Made By Hand. By Me. What's great about these Spotlights is that you can include items from many different handmade venues in one gallery. They support the big guys like Etsy & Artfire, but they also will let you use items from 1000 Markets, Made it Myself, and Zibbet, plus more.

If you are like many artisans, and you have multiple shops, you can easily create a gallery of your work for your blog or website that pulls items from all the venues. It's similar to an Etsy mini, only better, in my opinion, because you aren't limited to one venue. Registration is free, and you can set up your own profile for their Artisan Directory as well.

To see the spotlights that others have created, you can click on the Shopping tab on their website and either select Window Shopping, to view a random spotlight, or choose Artisan Spotlights to see a sortable list of active spotlights. Be warned, though, time can get away from you as you drool over all the beautiful handmade goods!

These spotlights are only one of the many cool things about Made By Hand. By Me. To be honest, every time I visit it seems like I am finding out something else cool they have created for the online artisan. This is one site I would wholeheartedly recommend you check out!

TGIM: Networked or Burned Out?

A colleague, on one of the many social net groups I take part in, mentioned how exhausting it is keeping up with all of the social networking self-representing artists find themselves participating in on the web. If you Google 'social networking sites" you get over 45 million hits. Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, Twitter, Forums, blogs: seriously, when is a person supposed to find time for it all, and still create?

This is a question I have been turning over in my head for a while now. It seems like most people fall into two camps; one groups feels the best results will come from having representation in every avenue, the other feels that energy should be focused on one or two priorities. I find myself bouncing back and forth on a continual basis, so who am I to offer advice to anyone, right?

One thing I have realized, is social networking will not benefit your business if you find that it is interfering with your ability to create new product! Lately, I have had a number of initiatives starting up, and found myself without any time to be creative, much less add new work to my existing sites. It was then that I realized I needed to see through the projects I had started on, and then decide one or two sites that I would try to utilize the best way possible.

However, most self-representing artists do not have a big advertising budget, and social networking can be a great way to sell yourself to a targeted audience. To satisfy that part of me that is worried I will be missing out on the next great "thing", I will continue to try out the new sites that I come across...and then I will have to make the decision whether to continue that route or let it go.

Social networking can be a blessing for the artist who does not have a group of like-minded folks in their neck of the words. Just make sure it doesn't turn into a time vampire, and deprive you of the precious minutes you spend in your studio creating new treasures for the rest of us!