In last week's Seller Tips post I wrote about Tara Gentile'sBlogging Your Passion e-book. I said I was working through the book myself. I had gotten hung up on week 3, with the restarting of school and an admin snag I ran into there. Plus I wasn't sure how I should delineate my BYP posts from the non-BYP posts. I can be almost painfully thoughtful sometimes. Then I realized...what does it really matter?
If the opening paragraph isn't proof enough, the biggest obstacle facing my craft life and life in general is how much I think. Even with this post and the subject of overcoming obstacles, I was debating which obstacle to choose. Most days it doesn't seem like I've overcome anything. I'm still trying to figure out my style and what techniques I want to continue to use, which techniques I'm willing to let go. I'm still trying to figure out where to promote, how to promote. Marketing is a challenge because funding is a challenge...it's a cycle.
It all get piled onto my worry wheel...as I posted about earlier. I get carried away and stress myself out and get nothing done and write long run-on sentences that leave my gasping for breath but I just can't stop until I have...FIGURED IT OUT!
This is an obstacle I have to take on daily. I have analyst genes. At times I need to let it go, like at the beginning of this post even, and say, 'What does it matter?' Too often the things I think about don't really matter. And for the decisions that are weighty...I can call in reinforcements. Yes, there's the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' cliche. But one person (me)can't figure out everything. I have to remind myself of this. It's acceptable even preferable to ask others who've worked with Gallery XYZ what they think, how the curator handled their work, what the traffic in the area was like; or who advertised on Blog Art/Craft/Design, Etc. how it went. I don't need to mirror others, but involving myself in the community of artists/crafters/designers who are willing to offer help and insight builds the community. (I believe the business term is networking.)
So I will continue to work through the e-book. The posts inspired by it will be tagged BYP. (see below) I will also endeavor, as often as the need arises, to slow down my thought process, to choose action instead. If I mess up, which is my biggest fear, I will try again. And I'll share it with you, dear readers, here.
:)
