I just got an email from my rep today. She said the retail world is "the worst" she has seen it in her "entire career." Mama Mia! My first instinct was to be relieved that I simply had not received any orders for my fine artwear line St. deVille, versus, my fax machine not working. My second thought was recalling how excited I had been when my line was picked up by a professional rep and how I jumped around the house, swung my giggling toddler around in the air, and drove my husband insane with my incessant chatter about the whole damn thing! And here I am, twiddling my thumbs (metaphorically speaking since I usually have no time for that kind of nonsense, and when I do, I like to waste my time on Facebook instead), wondering about the next step. But there is almost an odd calm about the way I feel that has been puzzling me, and then it hit me. Wham! Yes, the money would be grand, don't get me wrong; I would love to sink the cash I used from our family coffers to launch St. deVille back into our pockets, lord knows we need it, but regardless of whether I sold another thing I ever made, I would continue to create, and THAT is what separates the Handmade Nations, the CRAFTINISTA, from the MallWarts. Even if we are broke, we artists scavenge through our junk drawers, hit up the free listings on craigslist (shout out to you Jenny), pick things up off the sidewalk, ransack the Mission Thrift and we turn them into wonderful loved possessions that feel good in your palm, or soft on your skin, or sparkle in the light. Our trunk show is the day after tomorrow, and I hope it is profitable for all of us, but mostly, I want this event to be a symbol of our solidarity as a community. I want everyone who attends to feel the love that we put into our work to share with you. I want folks to realize that they can buy lovely gifts from local people who use the money to fuel our passions, enrich our local culture and feed our families. I want to hear the buzz of roaming voices, nibbling Amy's cupcakes and sipping wine, all in abstract agreement that no matter how tough it gets out there, there are a band of us, loving, creating and sharing. Because thats how CRAFTINISTA do.Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Keep On Keepin' On
I just got an email from my rep today. She said the retail world is "the worst" she has seen it in her "entire career." Mama Mia! My first instinct was to be relieved that I simply had not received any orders for my fine artwear line St. deVille, versus, my fax machine not working. My second thought was recalling how excited I had been when my line was picked up by a professional rep and how I jumped around the house, swung my giggling toddler around in the air, and drove my husband insane with my incessant chatter about the whole damn thing! And here I am, twiddling my thumbs (metaphorically speaking since I usually have no time for that kind of nonsense, and when I do, I like to waste my time on Facebook instead), wondering about the next step. But there is almost an odd calm about the way I feel that has been puzzling me, and then it hit me. Wham! Yes, the money would be grand, don't get me wrong; I would love to sink the cash I used from our family coffers to launch St. deVille back into our pockets, lord knows we need it, but regardless of whether I sold another thing I ever made, I would continue to create, and THAT is what separates the Handmade Nations, the CRAFTINISTA, from the MallWarts. Even if we are broke, we artists scavenge through our junk drawers, hit up the free listings on craigslist (shout out to you Jenny), pick things up off the sidewalk, ransack the Mission Thrift and we turn them into wonderful loved possessions that feel good in your palm, or soft on your skin, or sparkle in the light. Our trunk show is the day after tomorrow, and I hope it is profitable for all of us, but mostly, I want this event to be a symbol of our solidarity as a community. I want everyone who attends to feel the love that we put into our work to share with you. I want folks to realize that they can buy lovely gifts from local people who use the money to fuel our passions, enrich our local culture and feed our families. I want to hear the buzz of roaming voices, nibbling Amy's cupcakes and sipping wine, all in abstract agreement that no matter how tough it gets out there, there are a band of us, loving, creating and sharing. Because thats how CRAFTINISTA do.
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