Holidays and Staying Focused

     Usually this time of year it gets crazy with stress. Just trying to not have a melt down is trial in itself. Add to that I just opened my shop on Etsy in October after losing my temp position that I had been in since July. 


No added pressure! 


     Running a small specialized shop on Etsy is a lot of work. Over this past weekend I have been spending most of my time promoting, learning how to use tools, and networking only to have Black Friday give me one sale. For most sellers that I talk to  this Black Friday was extremely slow and there wasn't a whole lot of sales made. So in that sense I see my one sale as a good start considering my shop has only been open for a month. Today is Cyber Monday so I am hoping to get a few more sales. 


     The holidays are always crazy and stress-filled so I have to make sure that I stay one step ahead. For me I will meditate for at least a half hour and then go create. I find my center and I find my stress level goes down when I do this. Being creative there is an outlet there to let go of a lot. I have to stay focused on building my shop and making my own success. Etsy is filled with so many talented people that it can be hard to stand out. Especially this time of year when everyone is clamoring for sales. I am learning that you have to focus on your own success and making your shop shine in a sea of other boats. Jewelry is a tough field to sell in because there are so many out there. 
     This holiday season I am taking it as my learning experience. I am learning as I go along at what works and what doesn't. Staying focused and stress free is important, I want to make my shop the best it can be. If I am stressed and unfocused it won't work. I am making my plan as I go and I know it will come together.  

Spiritually Creative

For me being creative comes from a spiritual place. I have been making and designing jewelry for well over ten years now and I decided to get back into it recently. I have an etsy shop where I am selling my jewelry and so far it has been slow. Being the new kid on the block it is to be expected. My mission is not lose the real meaning behind why I create: because it is being spiritual for me. I get into my Zen side when I making a piece and it brings an inner peace that I can't explain. In Buddhism we want to find out livelihood, what brings us happiness and what we can do to make all beings happy. Creating jewelry for me is what makes me happy and can make others happy. 


Creativity isn't something you are just "born" with, it is inside of all of us. You just have to dig deep and find it. Being creative is just another side of you and you would be surprised to find how spiritually satisfying it can be.