On Selling Stuff and Selling Out?
Starting thoughts on metalworking, X-posted to greenxfelidae.
I'm not sure I've voiced my extreme pleasure yet, but I am a much happier person when I have metalworking on the mind. There's something to researching a topic, designing a physical object, troubling shooting with a difficult material and then having a nice usable and good looking piece come out of it.
That being said, I'm starting to consider a small hobby business. *small squee* Most of it would be jewelry, but I've done other things before and I'm willing to expand horizons. I've been mulling it over bits and pieces of it in my head and I realized the most valuable thing to have is an outsider's opinion on certain things.
1. I like detail and I like stories. When I'm making a piece I spend a decent amount of time on the research of the subject I'm basing it off of and then the technical execution of the piece. Spending that much time makes you attached to the piece, and it tends to add in a lot of detail; detail usually means more time and more effort. In the end it looks very nice, but it isn't something I could probably do more than once or twice within a month or two without getting worn out.
Simple things are well, easy to make and take a lot less time. I can make five rings in the time it takes to make one bracelet but the appeal of getting down and dirty isn't there to help my drive. Plus, I see simple designs everywhere.
So my first dilemma is a bit of a typical one; Is it better to stay with your heart and create a few pieces that a small group of people will (hopefully)enjoy? Or does one go with the flow of society and ease to gain a wider fan base, as it were.
Granted, I'm no big artist and my plans are simple; do what I like to do and hopefully get enough cash to continue funding the hobby. I'm pretty sure this means making a lot of simple (but original) pieces and drafting up an artsy piece to challenge my skills when I need a break from the simple.
We shall see! Any thoughts from you crafters out there?
(In other news, my X-Men trilogy just came in the mail! I will be overdosing on Wolverine after work. Eee!)
I'm not sure I've voiced my extreme pleasure yet, but I am a much happier person when I have metalworking on the mind. There's something to researching a topic, designing a physical object, troubling shooting with a difficult material and then having a nice usable and good looking piece come out of it.
That being said, I'm starting to consider a small hobby business. *small squee* Most of it would be jewelry, but I've done other things before and I'm willing to expand horizons. I've been mulling it over bits and pieces of it in my head and I realized the most valuable thing to have is an outsider's opinion on certain things.
1. I like detail and I like stories. When I'm making a piece I spend a decent amount of time on the research of the subject I'm basing it off of and then the technical execution of the piece. Spending that much time makes you attached to the piece, and it tends to add in a lot of detail; detail usually means more time and more effort. In the end it looks very nice, but it isn't something I could probably do more than once or twice within a month or two without getting worn out.
Simple things are well, easy to make and take a lot less time. I can make five rings in the time it takes to make one bracelet but the appeal of getting down and dirty isn't there to help my drive. Plus, I see simple designs everywhere.
So my first dilemma is a bit of a typical one; Is it better to stay with your heart and create a few pieces that a small group of people will (hopefully)enjoy? Or does one go with the flow of society and ease to gain a wider fan base, as it were.
Granted, I'm no big artist and my plans are simple; do what I like to do and hopefully get enough cash to continue funding the hobby. I'm pretty sure this means making a lot of simple (but original) pieces and drafting up an artsy piece to challenge my skills when I need a break from the simple.
We shall see! Any thoughts from you crafters out there?
(In other news, my X-Men trilogy just came in the mail! I will be overdosing on Wolverine after work. Eee!)