Welcome to another post about my handmade business journey! This one is a bit more personal and spiritual, so bear with me. Here we go.
I started this blog around 7 years ago (7!) to document my crafts and creativity. I posted photos of projects I was working on. Eventually I offered free patterns. Now I offer free and paid patterns, free tutorials, weekly inspiration features, and shop updates. That being said, I want to go back to the beginning and talk about who I am and why exactly I'm doing this.
I love making things. You guys already know this. I love coming up with new ideas, being inspired by other people, sharing how-tos, and selling handmade. To go a bit deeper, my love for all of these things comes from a desire to brighten the world and people's lives using the talents God gave me. I believe He, the Creator, created us to be creators. Looking at life this way helps me to see beauty in the mundane, and I want to help others see that. When someone purchases a carefully handmade product from my shop, they're getting a product made with so much love. When I share a tutorial or DIY project, I'm sharing my love of making things.
When someone purchases a carefully handmade product from my shop, they're getting a product made with so much love.
When someone purchases a carefully handmade product from my shop, they're getting a product made with so much love.
Frankly, I don't think it's wise to share too much of one's personal life, especially when one is running more of a professional blog. Also, it's the Internet and I'm a cautious person. :) I'm still striving to build a handmade business, and am still figuring out what that looks like. I would love to share more heart-centered posts like this one, and I will, but if you want to know more or ask me any questions, you can most certainly email me. I'd love to talk!
I was hugely inspired by One Sheepish Girl and Gulushthreads and their beautiful and unexpected honesty. They have both shared their hearts in loving ways, and I hope to follow their example in my future posts. You can follow Gulushthreads on Instagram, and read One Sheepish Girl here.
Thank you for reading and putting up with my honesty! Let me conclude with this: God has given me everything I have - my desire to create, my motivation, my inspiration, my imagination. Without Him, and especially without the sacrifice of His Son, I have nothing. This is all for Him, and I pray that I use it for His glory and for others' good. I'm so thankful for all He has done for me.
I had no idea you were trying to run a more professional blog. That honestly sounds so weird to me. It's like someone saying "I want to separate myself from what I make and just show all my products". But not everyone is like me, I suppose. When I read a blog I want to get to know the person. I want to relate to them, I want to find out more about them because they are beautiful and interesting and because I love what they make. And I am a big over sharer and I love seeing people available and open with what they are going through! I just don't see why people have to separate themselves from their brand. Feels so alienating. That is what is different, at least in my thoughts, from "Small Business" and "large ones". Small ones you get to learn about the person who runs things. You get glimpses into their life and that is what makes, for me, the things I buy from them 100 times more special. Anyway, just my viewpoint, as everyone is different obviously :) Also, I have zero fear from the internet. I have more fear from walking in the dark to my car late at night. I also pray God uses me and that his will is done in everything! But I don't want to be afraid to talk about my failures. I am human, and more then what I make or do, I want people to know that first.
ReplyDelete