http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/interview-with-meredith-dada/

A Blog interview with me on Handmade Spark by Johanna Draper

http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/interview-with-meredith-dada/

My Mosaic Bowl (Something Just For Me)

Since I began selling on Etsy, my creative focus has been all on my bead work and getting my shop stocked with a variety of items to sell. My mom came to visit for a few days and watched my little boy, so I could get some bead work done, shoot the pictures, and list the items in my shop. The up side: I went out to the studio, worked straight through and got so much done! The down side: I felt burnt out in the end. So I took a step back and decided to make something just for me! I glazed and fired a bowl that has been sitting in my studio for ages. It felt really liberating to work on something without "sales" in mind. I used glass mosaic tiles and millefiori. It was fun, relaxing, and reminded me of why I love to create in the first place. So here it is my mosaic bowl, something made by me...just for me!

The Voices In My Head

I have two voices in my head right now, and they are becoming very argumentative and annoying.
The first voice reminds me of a yoga instructor. The kind of gal who meditates, eats soy products and carries crystals around in her pockets. She keeps telling me to create from my soul without a plan. Her favorite lines: “Create and the universe will take care of the rest, you don’t need a plan. To create with a market in mind will kill your spark. Do what you love and people will respond to it. Now is your time to create freely. If you look at it like a chore, you will burn out, so breathe and relax. It will all work out. ” She takes the anxiety right out of my Etsy experience.
The other voice is swimming in sarcasm. She is a know-it-all chic who rolls her eyes at the first voice and always has a snarky response. Her favorite lines: “You are a unemployed housewife, the money you spend on your little craft is no longer yours. Your free time does not exist. If you don’t start selling stuff, you are going to have to pack it up and quit wasting everyone's time. Make things that will sell! You must have a plan, you must find your target customer, you must focus your vision and stop being such a spaz. It is not about having fun, it is about making money.” Wow, reality check. She is smart but a bit bossy! Now this feels like work, yuck! She injects anxiety as soon as I sign into my Etsy shop.

Now how do I get these girls to get long ? Because of them, I did not step foot in my studio this weekend. They sucked the energy right out of me.
So, how do I continue to do what I love, create freely, leave my work open to evolution and change...while at the same time taking my hobby more seriously since at the very least it needs to pay for itself!

*sigh*
This is the million dollar question for so many artists and crafters out there. I hope my Etsy folks will share their stories!