The Truth & Hope of a Struggling Artist.
I hand craft sterling silver jewellery.
Each piece is individually made.
I have been making these little treasures for over a year and a half now, spending many a 12 hour day at my workbench. Having pretty much self taught myself, with the exception of one basic course when I was very young, I can say that I have come a long way & that I have learned a lot.
Putting yourself out there.
I've learned that it's hard...
It's hard to bare your heart & soul & share it with the people you know & those that you don't.
It's hard to ignore that voice in your head that tells you it's not good enough, or that you'll never get there.
It's hard to believe in yourself when you don't get as many likes/comments/followers or as many sales as you'd hoped.
It's hard to be a business owner, jeweller, photographer, web designer, social media manager, graphic designer... all at the same time.
It's hard to keep on working hour after hour, day after day, without always getting paid.
It's really, really hard to find & reach those people who you know are out there that will adore your art.
I'm afraid that I'm doing it all wrong, I'm afraid that I'll get myself into debt & I'm afraid that I'll put in all this effort & never get there.
Why do I do it?
Because I'm more afraid of how I'll feel & what will happen if I don't try.
Oh, & I frickin love it.
In this space of time I have also learned some lovely, important things.
I've learned that you really do improve tremendously when you have done something over & over again.
I have found myself improving vastly in each element of my work, from website design to photography to silversmithing, which in itself makes the hard work & hours invested worth it.
I have learned that it's important to make the art that you truly love & believe in & to never sell out - selling out would never create the kind of long lasting passion you need to keep going. Creating beautiful pieces of art that you adore gives you a feeling of satisfaction & joy.
I have learned that when you finally do decide to take the leap & bare your heart & soul, most people are amazingly supportive & are happy to help you in any way that they can.
I've learned that it's okay to charge the proper amount for your art because the people that love what you do, & are willing to pay the right amount for it, want you to keep going.
Remember that just because something comes easily to you, doesn't mean it's easy . The things that are easy or enjoyable to you may be hell for someone else... For example, I hate cooking! So someone who loves to cook & can cook well adds extreme value to my life.
(Thank god I have a boyfriend/best friend that loves to cook! ;) @hadestraining)
That product you love to make, the music that you love to compose, the art that you paint or the article that you can't wait to write, DOES have value to other people.
What do I really need?
All I need is to make enough money selling my jewellery so that I can pay my bills & afford to make more jewellery.
If I were to build an empire: of course that would be fantastic! However, I don't need an empire, just enough so that I can get by & continue doing what I love. I don't think that's too far out of my reach. I just need to find ways to get my jewellery out in to the world.
For now, my plan is to invest in myself, I'm designing a whole new collection with Smoky Quartz & Ametrine Crystals that I'm so excited about! I want to make as much stock as I can afford to - which may not be a lot unfortunately but it'll have to do! Then I will try to get that stock in a couple of galleries & hotels around Cornwall. I'm hoping that will give me enough money in sales to keep me going & to continue to create more jewellery.
I believe I can get there, and if you're in the same boat as me, I believe you can too.
It takes real hunger, persistence & so much love for what you do to keep going, so stay strong & keep aiming high.
I know there are lots of creative people on Steem, I hope we can come together & support one another - let's fight the good fight!
Love,
Trixie Kiddo
I suggest you create a post and offer to sell a piece of your jewelry in exchange for STEEM. See my post for an example. https://steemit.com/marketplace/@pairmike/steem-marketplace-nike-air-penny-v-for-sale-accepting-steem-payment
I was wondering how I could do this, I don't know a lot about Steem at the moment, but I shall educate myself promptly! Thank you very much for this @pairmike :)
Upvote incoming @trixiekiddo! :)
wow ! thank you! I love this image haha! You're my pal. @weenis
Great post and beautiful work. I also have a creative side I like to express at times and although I have been encouraged at times to monetize it somewhat.... It's always hard for me putting a price on something that I created from a desire to simply create it. I go forward and glad to see you do as well!
Thank you so much! I think a lot of creative people struggle when they really love what they do. What I've found since starting my business is that it has motivated a lot of people I know to do the same, which is amazing! When you create a career out of passion, it inspires people to follow suit. Whatever your creative side is, if it's a product or service etc it may be something that people desire - people will only spend their money when they really want something & you are adding value to their life. They don't see it as you taking money away from them because they love it! :) Just think of anything that you have ever bought that you completely adored. That's the way I look at it now! So glad to hear it @clevecross , I would love to see your creative side too!
Amen to that. As artists, we don't sell "products." We provide something far more valuable. If they don't want to pay for our creations, that's okay. They are not meant to be our collectors. When someone loves what we do, price is not an issue. ;)
Keep trying and you will suceed. Persistance is one of most important things. Marketing is also very improtant so try to learn more about it, you are allready doing good job being you social media manger.
Thanks @leksimus. I don't do half the amount of marketing that I should. I intend to go full steam ;) once my new collection is made... Post more often on social media, and generally get myself out there! Thanks for the support, it's much appreciated!
Your work is beautiful and perseverance is key. I loved @Pairmike's suggestion to sell a piece for steem. I'm sure you will do well here and with your jewellery.
Way to go for getting your hopes and fears out there. You are in good company here. We all have these doubts. But you are right. You will never go anywhere without trying. And it's okay to reach out and ask for support. I'm learning that too. :)
Thank you! It def helps when people you've just met online are really supportive & lovely!
Upvoted since you're increasing demand for the silver market and I invest in silver bullion HAHA.
http://steemit.com/money/@r0achtheunsavory/the-r0ach-report-vol-1-it-s-time-to-back-up-the-truck-for-silver
Also, you should try doing some silver statues and stuff like this: