Why I closed my Etsy shop

Painting wasn’t fun.

Also, I’m still (maybe always will be?) in that beginner-ish stage where nothing comes out looking like I wanted it to, and is instead many levels below the amount of awesome I imagined. So I felt dumb trying to ask people to give me money for what I viewed as mediocre work.

I designed Christmas cards for a friend. I finished up a baby keepsake I’d been meaning to do for another friend. I’m in the process of doing baby announcements for my newest nephew.

These projects have all been gifts. I don’t want to charge people – especially friends and family! – for amateur stuff.

I haven’t looked at Etsy in months; when I do, it’s so disheartening to see work I consider to be inferior even to my designs. And perhaps more disheartening to see work I adore and can only dream of doing.

But.

I have a few ideas.

Most of the quotes I’ve designed in the past for use in my shop are not in a style I actually like. It’s what I’m capable of, but I’d never put it up in my house. To be fair, part of that is because I don’t typically like quotes on my walls. Even with that said, though, designing stuff that I dislike and that I perceive as being mediocre quality was just not fun. Kind of miserable, in fact. So I’ve been browsing Etsy and Pinterest again to get a feel for what I would be willing to frame and display in my house. And maybe I’ll start trying something like that.

I also really enjoy, in theory, doing custom announcements and invitations. The problem there is figuring out what’s a fair price for my time. And finding customers who are willing to pay that. And then working with clients in a professional manner – I’d much rather say, “Here’s a sketch of a layout. What do you think?” than create multiple polished samples to present as options. Psh. So much work.

Maybe once I finish my reading challenges, I’ll open up shop again.