Being an Etsy Seller

You know, MCG got its start on Etsy!  It was, and still remains, the place for crafters and artisans to sell their wares.  I especially loved the Alchemy function, where you could find requests for custom made items and bid on fulfilling them.  That's how I ended up making an axolotl for a woman in Canada who had lost her pet axolotl.  I never did find my notes for the pattern (a crocheter on Ravelry had asked me), but considering he (and he is a he, I researched the differences!) was made from a handspun yarn, etc., he really was meant to be unique and the only one :-)

But, I digress.  This post is about evolution and adaptability, both of which are positive spins on change, which sometimes can elicit negative feelings.  Sometimes, change really is good.  For example, I have not particularly kept up well with my Etsy shop.  Since I now concentrate on making patterns rather than the items themselves, I post the patterns on Ravelry, though I can't bring myself to close my Etsy shop because I've been on there since the beginning in 2005!

So, why not also post patterns on Etsy?  Well, putting aside the costs associated with doing that (which are a bit more than on Ravelry), the biggest concern for me was that a pattern purchaser on Etsy would not have access to the pattern immediately - she or he would have to wait until I was able to make it home to my computer to send the pattern electronically (though I have had a few purchasers request hard copies mailed to them).  Maybe it's just me projecting my desires onto others, but if I find a pattern I like, I want to be able to download it right away and get started (or at least read and play around with it).

Well, the other day, I was looking around on Etsy (it still remains my home page and a great source for pins to my Pinterest boards) and I saw a pattern that I clicked on and was given the choice to purchase it as a digital file!  Whoa, instant downloading available on Etsy!  A game changer?!  I won't know til I try, but obviously it's time to rethink my Etsy shop :-)

The bigger point here is you just have to be open to change and to be willing to rethink and adapt to changes, many of which turn out to be good.  And just because something didn't meet your needs in the past doesn't mean it's not worth reconsidering in the future.  Sometimes, it's worth giving second chances (or even thirds ;-).  Your business plan (or life plan) is not a static concept -- it has to bend, grow, change and adapt as the world around it does all those things.  It's easy to get caught up in whatever actions you're currently pursuing and just stick to those, but do take the time periodically to step back, do a little research into what new things are out there, and then think about what (positive) changes you want to make to adapt!

Like Your Life

Sometimes someone just says something that has a profound effect on you.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but, on Tuesdays, a group of us meet in the gym at work to do 1/2 hour of yoga.  We pop in a DVD and just follow along.  At the end of class this past Tuesday, one of the ladies in the class said to me "I walk 5 to 7 miles a day, and I've been working in the garden too."  I said that I thought that was great, and she turned to me with this great big smile on her face and said "I like my life."

Wow.  That simple statement just stopped me in my tracks and had me thinking on and off all day.  Maybe it really hit me because I'm not sure I can say that right now.  It's been very busy and stressful at work recently, which of course has made it difficult to keep up with crocheting and small business matters when I get home.  But, like all changes you face in life, it just takes some getting used to and getting into a groove.  The weather has been getting better here in DC, which always makes me feel better and more optimistic.  I'm getting more efficient at work, so I'm not as tired when I get home, so you know, with a few adjustments, I think I'm on the verge of liking my life too :-)