Craft Shows & Etsy: A lesson in humility

Last November I did a craft show/bazaar at my church. It was my first one, and it didn't go particularly well. It wasn't that I didn't slave away, have nice things, or have a pretty display. Seriously, it was painful. I was sitting there with my mom and hours passed before I had even made enough to cover the $30 booth fee.   Eventually I made about $100, I think.

I had been told by friends who do a lot of craft shows that you can never tell how one is going to go; sometimes you make a lot, sometimes you make a little. I was also told by more than one person to do several shows to get a more balanced perspective of how well you can do. However, with 3 small children, getting ready for the show that I did do took a lot of time, energy, and money away from my family. So I didn't do anymore. Plus I felt demoralized and discouraged. I needed to lick my wounds for awhile.

Then I saw this quote while moping on Pinterest. "When I get sad, I stop being sad, and start being awesome instead." (When I looked this up just now, it turns out it's a quote from Barney on How I Met Your Mother.) For some reason this struck a chord in me, and I kept working at my bows and figuring out different avenues for selling them. That's when I also launched PookieTown Designs on Etsy. My goal was to have a nice selection of items ready for Cyber Monday, or the Monday after Thanksgiving.

I wish I could say this quote inspired me to become a top seller on Etsy and now I'm in stores all around the country. But I can't. For the last year, I've been plodding away with the Etsy shop, which hasn't set the world on fire, but I sell a few things every now and then. It definitely goes in spurts. Last Spring I took a booth at a craft mall; again, selling enough to pay the rent but not a whole lot more. What I do sell makes me feel better about what I spend on my hobby and I guess, in my mind, it sort of balances out financially (although my husband would probably beg to differ). However, having this little project has made the SAHM thing a little more appealing. It's given me something to sink my creativity into and I've really enjoyed the marketing side of things. Plus it's been my first foray into any kind of employment (I'm not sure this qualifies as employment, but couldn't think of a better word) that's not social-worky. I've discovered I kind of like business. And so, this experience, with its ups and downs, has not been a complete loss.