Motivational Opportunities Uncovered through Etsy

ETSY Little House Village by thelittlereddoor

Etsy really has been good to me.

There are those members who will disagree with me to no end when it comes to the things they feel Etsy can improve. I tend to ignore those sentiments, though. I worked in e-commerce for five years, so I know glitches will happen and get resolved, and that the seemingly simplest functionality is usually a pain to build. I also don’t buy into the ‘If you build it, they will come’ mentality. That sort of thing only flies in Hollywood productions about baseball fields encased by cornfields in BFE, Iowa. My husband and I pay a mortgage, but I don’t expect the bank to maintain my lawn and do my laundry.

But I digress.

When it comes to networking and learning opportunities, I have learned so much and have made so many connections that I have never before thought possible. This is especially true when it comes to the street teams I belong to. I’ve joined a team specific to my craft, my region, my desire for learning, and for just hanging out with an eclectic mix of artisans. Then there is the team that has wholeheartedly presented the personal and professional challenges I have longed for.

I’d like you to meet Curation Nation.

Curation Nation – or CN -is a growing team of Etsy shopkeepers who like to make treasuries. Being a member of CN is more than that, though. Your item pictures have to be good. Your treasuries? Front page worthy. Like many Etsy teams, there are requirements to remain an active member in good standing. This kind of footwork, however, hardly feels like work when you do something you love. Most importantly, you join because you like to promote other great shops. Receiving an invitation to join definitely ranks among the highest of affirmations during my Etsy experience. I was as elated as I was humbled to join the ranks of those who had been gracing Etsy’s front page for a while.

I’m also now motivated like never before.

I thought my item photos were pretty good and got the job done. Once joining CN, I found myself researching the finer points of editorial and commercial product photography. I explored concepts like lighting, angles, backgrounds and props. No longer was I content to abide by the “rule” of a plain white, e-Bay style background. I’m constantly asking myself how what I can do to showcase my creations in some sort of context, looking at my items less as an owner and more as a customer – something I thought I was doing all along.

It doesn’t stop with photos.

Along with the desire for photo makeovers, I’m now taking other aspects of the customer experience much more seriously. If I’m gonna kick things up a notch for the business, it has to happen in a bunch of different areas. Like packaging, communication, and those extra little things that make shopping with me pleasant and memorable. Soon, my husband will be assisting me with communication as I find myself difficult to keep up with e-mails, inquiries and Etsy ‘Convos’.

Chalkboard No. 33 by ChalkboardWisdom

There’s the personal challenge aspect, too.

I need challenges to grow my business the same way I need air and water to live, and I’m not really particular about where those challenges come from. To me, sustaining creativity in my right brain is a lot like sustaining the ability to solve complex algebraic equations in my left brain – I need the exercise to stay sharp. I wouldn’t want a challenge to be easy, otherwise I’d get bored. When I get bored, creativity withers and my studio light goes dark.

Curation Nation gives me just what I need to do that through weekly treasury challenges. Each Saturday, a theme for a treasury curation challenge is revealed on the team blog and it is open to members and non-members alike. There’s a simple set of rules that go along with it and then the participants begin curating. It’s loads of fun for me and meeting the challenge can be tough. However, it’s overcoming that ‘toughness’ that is most gratifying. Sure, there’s some sort of prize involved but the fun for me is putting the puzzle together and seeing the big picture in the end!

So hats off to you, Curation Nation! You gave this crafter a much needed boost in a few much needed areas.

Now I want you to share with me the experiences that gave you the push you needed when you needed it. It can be about your trade, your job, a goal, whatever! Perhaps you have a motivator that you think will help others? Go ahead and share in the comments box below!