Friday, July 23, 2010

The 12 step program......


sounds like great idea:
step 1: Admit that you want an etsy shop..(who doesn't)
Step 2: Spend 365 days trying to figure out how to get a PayPal account up .... and then working
Step 3: Now that you have your PayPal up and working, try not to spend any money before you have even SET UP your etsy shop
Step 4: decide on an etsy name...............hmmm......... remember, this is a life changer as you CAN NOT change the name once it's there..... oh my goooood....... do they have counselors for this????
Step 5: Get your husband to understand that no....... his dinner, dogs walked, washing done, teeth brushed...no....none of this is more important than LISTING....
Step 6: uhuuuuuu...and listing... at the right time..... emphasis on right..... you might think this is easy..hehe... well, think again.... look at all the time zones, being European, living in Asia, working an American site... ask me about any city and I'll give you the time..... now...that IS sad.
Step 7: Banner..... you realize that your etsy banner does not look as good as SOME PEOPLES.. so you have to make 14.ooo little drawings, that still wont fit the size of 760 pixels wide, and 100 pixels high.. oh yes, repetition makes you remember!
Step 8: Reading all the good advice on how to succeed on etsy.... and I mean, advice galore.... how do these people have time to list, when they are writing tombstones on how to succeed on etsy???
Step 9: Realize that 20 cents a listing...... is still 20 cents a listing...... I want to be the etsy website owner!
Step 10: Decide to totally ignore all the advice you read about how to succeed on etsy.....
Step 11: List in all weather, on your birthday, your wedding anniversary, although your husband is making eyes at you (Saturday afternoon) even though the dog is throwing up right in front of you! LIST
Step 12: You might as well admit it: you LOVE it...... etsy came up with the perfect recipe....
one cup of ego, 3 cups of tricky to set up, 1 pinch of sales (small) and 14 cups of something to do that makes me feel like I am doing something although I am actually not!

After the 12 steps.... I have a new shop: all linocuts is my idea.... www.artcanbefun.etsy.com
only 2 pieces in there for now... but just you wait, I am a dedicated follower of step 11!

8 comments:

  1. LOL! I'm sitting here reading your steps and I've got a Etsy problem too. Last YEAR
    I set up a shop....and never put a darn thing in it! Now a year later I have a basement full of "vintage" and a spare bedroom with a bunch of WIP pieces of ART. So, what do I do? Why of course the logical answer to me was....OPEN another Etsy shop!...that is also empty! I am going to force myself to take some photos of my vintage and get it listed! I need to hurry before I need to rent storage space! Ha! Ha!
    well, I'm off to go check out YOUR new shop!
    XOXO - Cindi

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  2. That's what I mean, the road to etsy is littered with good intentions..... I am having a really good time here,cackling to myself at the computer... thanks for all the fun feedback!

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  3. Ha, ha! Lovely Mariann... made me laugh a lot! It is a bit tricky to get it sorted, then make sure it doesn't take over your life. I seem to work in fits and starts anyway, so my shop will have the occasional "birthday", with lots of new listings, then a period where I can only re-list what is already there... Having to mind how many re-lists you do of course, or you have spent all the profit before you even sell the item!
    But I do enjoy my shop and I so love the creative process...
    I also love the gorgeous prints I got from your Etsy shop!!

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  4. Mariann! LOL! I love your 12 step program. I think etsy is like any romance. At first, it's all you think about. You dress nice, you make sure your hair is perfect, and then as the days and weeks roll on, you show up in your sweats with your hair wadded up in a scrunchie. hahahaha! I am definitely in need of a makeover (in all things). I adore your new shop and I am trying to figure out which of my children to steal from so I can buy one of your linocuts - heehee! And I'm like Cindi - I have boxes of vintage waiting for me to take pics and list. Now I feel better for confessing this all to you. ;)) xox! Pam

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  5. OH, you are so good I wish I had a listing problem......

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  6. I agree Lizzie..... love the occasional "birthday",
    and Pam, how right you are... it's exactly like dating... without the annoying guy involved :o)
    and yes, Diana, good , but not that good..... sometimes having a bit of a compulsive obsessive disorder can be of help!

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  7. You're so right Mariann. I can't believe how much information overload there is on Etsy and yes, when do these people ever have time to actually MAKE anything?

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  8. Hi! Love your art AND love this post...So. True. My poor husband is always hearing, "Almost done with my Etsy listing..." ARgh. And yes, what the heck IS the best time to list? I sure don't know. Anyway, a very funny (and true!) post. Love it! I do love my Etsy shop (I sell vintage), but wow, I AM a slave to it. (Found your blog after googling "how to make etsy banner not look stretched out" because I am--wait for it--opening ANOTHER Etsy shop! Ha!

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