As I mentioned earlier, I like to make crafts. And recently, I discovered the downfall of all crafters: Pinterest.
Oh. My. God. Pinterest is like crack. I've never done crack, I've never done ANY drug that wasn't prescription, but I imagine that Pinterest is what crack must be like. It's insane. I log on for just a minute, and I'm on there for a solid hour looking at DIY stuff I'll never attempt. Of course, when I pin it, I just KNOW I'm going to master it. But let's be honest. Am I ever going to make my own soap? Hell no I'm not.
But I've actually made a couple of things I found on pinterest...mostly recipes. And they've been resounding successes. Now I've found something else I want to make - DIY hairbows. But I'm having a little bit of a crisis about it.
See, I have this little girl. This little girl has hair. This hair requires hairbows. (It doesn't really *require* hairbows, but my raging pink hormones say that it does.) But I have three close friends that make hairbows already. And I'm feeling really crappy about the fact that I want to try this craft.
Now, in fairness to me, the hairbows that I've pinned and want to try are different from the hairbows that they make. (Sidenote - never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that there could be so many different varieties of freaking hairbows until I had a little girl. I mean, for real. It's ribbon in pretty shapes. But there are a gazillion ways of shaping it, and I'm in awe. End sidenote.) I want to make hairbows that are not the same. Mine would be individual to me. But still, I'm having guilt. There's kind of a code between crafters that you don't hone in on someone else's craft. I've always been very proud of the fact that although I make earrings and everyone and their brother makes earrings, I sort of found a niche by making kitchy, silly earrings. And I've never found anyone else that makes headbands or barrettes quite like mine. Similar, yes, but not quite the same. But there are lots of people who make hairbows like the ones I want to make - just none in my friend circle. But they do make hairbows. So I'm presented with a dilemma.
What do I do? Do I only make hairbows for my little girl? Do I make them anyway? Do I make a few to see if I can even do it? Do I approach them and see if it would be okay with them? What if they say no? What if they say yes but they secretly hold resentment? What if they say yes but I'm convinced in my sometimes-paranoid little brain that they secretly hold resentment?
I've been playing for a while with the idea of closing down my etsy shop and opening a new one. I've been wanting to sever ties with the name associated with my current shop and start fresh. This would be a perfect addition to the direction I want to go. But I'm genuinely at a loss as to what to do. I don't want to hurt my friends over some ribbon and hairclips - but this is something I've been toying with the idea of doing since Katie sprouted fur. Pinterest gave me the vehicle to do it.
Boy, do I ever wish I had good decision-making skills. Does anyone have any advice?
I say do it! You are not doing it intentionally to spite them, you are doing it because you found something cool and interesting to try! There is nothing wrong with that! And especially if it is a different way then your friends do it, they should not mind.
ReplyDeleteI say go for it! Start out making them for Katie (you can make some for my Katie too, if you like :-P). If you feel like you want to make more to sell, do it. If not, leave it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how your friends will have any issues with you making and selling your hairbows.