Struggling to be Free

I can't describe to you all how inspiring it was to be a source of help for so many Etsyians! After posting about my blog entry for September 17th in the Etsy Forums, I received the largest response any of my posts has generated - and I believe, made many new friends. I thank each of you for taking the time to read my blog, thank me, and most importantly wish you all the success that can come from your own personal power.

And waking up to see how many MANY other people read my blog yesterday, well that felt VERY good! Sometimes, you can feel like you're writing to the thin air - just remember you aren't.

"It has been said that each generation must win its own struggle to be free."
- Robert F. Kennedy

I came across this quote the other day as I began Naomi Wolf's 2008 "Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American Revolutionaries". Naturally, it is in a political context within her wonderful handbook; but I think it can apply to people on an individual level as well. We all must win our own struggle to be free - for many artists, it's from ourselves.

I am currently struggling with self-doubt and procrastination, otherwise known as a Creative Block. I have decided to make a public guinea pig of myself, my Etsy shop, and those wonderful resources I have started to find. I'm gonna turn this thing around into the sale-generating powerhouse I know it can be - and you, my friends, are invited to watch. And hopefully learn something - even from my mistakes. Perhaps, especially from my mistakes.

I will refurbish each area of my shop, list and relist, develop product, shoot photos and reshoot, all the while, carefully taking notes regarding times, tags, keywords so that my Analytics make sense. I seek the Secret to Success on Etsy with vim and vigor.

Please check in on my blog from time to time for resources, statistics, laughs, and lessons.
I could never stop having my Seller Interviews and Shop Features, so feel free to check back for those regularly as well to find some of the most talented Etsyians.

Let me know what you think of my progress - I will definitely need a lot of feedback as I move through this.

Thanks so much, everyone! Especially to Bomobob@Etsy for the use of his gorgeous photo! To see more of Bomobob's work, click here.
Tara