[indigo1015]

So, I’m still looking for work… since the job market is bizarre right now and I haven’t even been out of work for two months, I’m trying to look on the bright side. I’ve had interviews, but no one’s bit so far (a of them haven’t even bothered to get back to me to let me know I’ve been rejected. Real nice.). I’ve really been enjoying my jewelry class and have made some items of which I’m very proud— one of the other jewelry students said he’d even pay good money for one of my pieces! My mom says her friend knows a lady who scouts the country for small jewelry artists. I’m trying to decide if I should ask my mom to ask her friend for that lady’s contact info, or if I should let my mom’s friend bring it up and have the lady contact me. Probably the latter, as i seem to be bad at interacting with people. Been in a fwb relationship with one of my close friends— he’s poly, but I know both of the women he’s involved with, so I feel fairly comfortable being intimate with him. I doubt I’ll find true love at this point. And I really hate how my parents keep needling both me and my sis for grandchildren. My mom said, “I’m so afraid of when my cat dies, because I don’t have grandchildren and so when he goes, I’ll have no one to care for.” Grrrrrrrr.

I’m spending a lot of time in my condo when I’m not on job interviews, at my friend’s place, or in the jewelry studio. It’s getting to me a bit. Sometimes I have to go out, like take a walk down to the local Subway restaurant for a diet soda or something, just to get out of there for an hour. I really want this to be the year I change my life for the better… I want to have a booth at a craft fair. I want my jewelry business to take off. I want to travel more, and actually, my friend and I are heading to the Four Corners region of Colorado this summer to do some camping. I’m really excited— I’ve never been to that part of Colorado before, and I love camping, but i haven’t done it in way too long. But yeah… I just don’t want to live out my life being miserable in a job that’s wrong for me. I basically am feeling a lot of regret right now— regret over how I’ve handled things in the past, things I’ve said, things that I’ve allowed people to get away with. I don’t want any more regrets. Interestingly, I still don’t regret quitting my job back in February. I just hope I find a better one soon. Lol

[unaluna]

Our art fair you have to "audition" for / apply to with photos of your work. I suppose other fairs are like that too.

[indigo1015]

Yeah, you have to submit an application and a fee with images of your work. Also, I haven’t gotten a straight answer on whether or not I need a seller’s permit, a business tax ID, or both.

[Discombobulated]

Have you looked into selling online? Etsy or somewhere similar? I love shopping those places for unique stuff.

[indigo1015]

I actually have an Etsy shop already, but frankly, I don’t get a lot of sales from it. The vast majority of my sales have been from friends, family, and coworkers. From what I’ve read, this is not an issue that’s exclusive to me either; I’ve read that Etsy deliberately skews its algorithms in favor of mass-produced merchandise, which is revolting actually, as the whole point of Etsy in the first place is to promote handmade and vintage items from small businesses. But yeah, when I tell people about my shop, they seem excited but then they tell me they don’t see my shop when they search for it. I’m considering pursuing consignment opportunities (i.e., selling my jewelry in a boutique or other store).

[Discombobulated]

Originally Posted by indigo1015

I actually have an Etsy shop already, but frankly, I don’t get a lot of sales from it. The vast majority of my sales have been from friends, family, and coworkers. From what I’ve read, this is not an issue that’s exclusive to me either; I’ve read that Etsy deliberately skews its algorithms in favor of mass-produced merchandise, which is revolting actually, as the whole point of Etsy in the first place is to promote handmade and vintage items from small businesses. But yeah, when I tell people about my shop, they seem excited but then they tell me they don’t see my shop when they search for it. I’m considering pursuing consignment opportunities (i.e., selling my jewelry in a boutique or other store).

That’s terrible! I know what you mean about the mass produced stuff though, I’ve noticed more of that than I used to.