Thursday, June 19, 2008

Etsy Blog Carnival - June 23rd Success

Define success. It's all relative isn't it? Success can be defined in so many different ways. The topic this time is how do I define success with regard to my Etsy shop. What does it mean to me? When will I sit back, put my feet up and quaff a diet root beer, sign and say "here I am.", "I made it.", "I've climbed that mountain."

Success is survival.

The day may come when I'll need to rely on the earnings from my little shop to help pay the rent, buy the groceries, pay my health bills. When that day comes defining what success means to me will be real easy. Success will mean I can pay the rent, buy the groceries and my prescriptions and have maybe a little over.

Success is warm fuzzies.

When someone buys something I've made and tells me how much they love it, no contest, I know I'm there. I made it. I'm on top of the mountain. To think that someone who was a stranger, really liked something made with my hands, took it and made it a part of their home - WOW!!!

Success means popularity.

When someone mentions my name and someone else says, "oh yes, I know them. I love their stuff!". That makes my day twirl!

Summary

Success is about winning but it is also about sharing. Sharing knowledge, crafts, advice. Success is not only about gaining dollars but also gaining friends all over the world with people who share a love of art and crafting. It's about helping someone find something useful or needful or desirable to give or decorate their home. It is about money and survival but it's also about bringing a little light into an often very dark old world.

Perhaps that last one is what keeps me going on right up until tha last lifelight fades from both my eyes.

5 comments:

ParadisebytheSea said...

Excellent!

Mama Z said...

Great posting! I really enjoyed reading it.

storybeader said...

my sentiments exactly. I'm glad your definition included keeping you going in retirement. I've thought about that myself. Great post!

Ponderin' Mama said...

Great post!
You know, my husband and I are just 26 and we are already contemplating retirement. Our goal is to grow and learn in our creative endeavors now, so when the time comes we can survive off of what we love to do. Just the mere fact of us working towards that goal makes me feel successful.
and those warm fuzzies are nice, too. :)

Kim Newberg Imagesbykim said...

Hi

Just wondering if you would be interested in joining a new Canadian art group.(free)

http://canehcanartistry.ning.com/

It's brand new, still tweeking and adding but I notice you are a Canadian artist and thought you might like to join this one.

((((hugs))))

Kim aka imagesbykim