'Bout Time

I love lists. Lists are beautiful things. There's nothing quite like sitting down with a new notebook and listing away! (Actually, my inner geek has a love affair with all office supplies. Oh, the smell of paper...) Things begin to get a little murky, however, when I fail to actually do the items on my lists. Hang tags had been on the list since late last fall after I had learned about them from an Etsy virtual lab, but had I followed through on ordering them? NO!!!

It wasn't until I read the Storque article, "Label Maker: Don't Orphan your Micro-Brand" that I realized how my lack of action was affecting the way I viewed my art. In short, the article stated that if you aren't labeling your products well, you are doing yourself, your work, your brand, and your patrons a disservice. It was a nudge out of my comfortable art nest to view my work not as a hobby, but as a business.

I'm not quite certain why I hadn't labeled my work before. (Fear? Laziness? Self-Doubt? Who knows?!) But I can tell you that when I attached the hang tags and fabric labels to my work, I couldn't stop looking at them! It was as if they said: Hello! I loved making this item! I think it's grand, and I hope you think so, too! Now won't you share the love with others as well?!

If you've been nudged out of the nest and are wildly flapping around like I was, not sure where to begin, sometimes it's easiest to start with the work that you've already done. Returning to your lists can be a positive and rewarding move, especially when you start crossing off items that you've perched on awhile. Pick a simple one that you can tackle and just begin. Another fabulous place to start is Etsy itself. Sign up to receive Etsy's emails. Attend the virtual labs. Read the blog. I guarantee that you will learn from people who have been where you are, made the mistakes you've made, and have advice on how to proceed.

If you are interested in STUNNING hang tags, I highly recommend printrunner.com. These little beauties are my business cards, and I'm absolutely thrilled with them! I want to hang them from everything, including Hubby and Boog! Don't shy away from the ordering process on their site--their support staff is helpful and friendly. The fabric labels were purchased on Etsy from JennifersJewels. Lovely lady. Lovely labels.
So here's to leaping out the nest (or being booted out the nest, in my case!). I'd love to hear the steps you're taking to move forward. One thing's for certain, it was 'bout time for me to do it, and I sure wish I'd done it sooner!