Maker Lessons from Market 5

We had our fifth market on August 14. I learned three lessons as a maker from that market.

1. Sometimes new is one of the best decisions you can make.

After hosting four markets in Decatur, market 5 was the first in Atlanta.

As a maker, it’s easy to want to rest on what is comfortable and reliable. But being a maker sometimes means taking risks and and trying something new.

2. The energy in the room at market 5 was magnetic and remarkably special due to gathering handmade makers and people to love to purchase handmade goods in one room.

As a maker I can contribute to that energy by showing up ready to share my wonderful goods and by supporting other handmade makers by buying their goods.

3. With the push for more video contents through Social Media platforms, Market 5 was an opportunity to capture not just photos but great video content.

As a maker during times where video is becoming king, I have to be more intentional about finding moments to capture memories through video.

Pros and Cons of Etsy

Pros and Cons of an Etsy platform by Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

As we grow our maker business, we may have to determine the best online platform for our business. Many makers look to Esty for selling their products.

What are the pros and cons of selling on Etsy?

PROS

Etsy is easy to use and you can build a business on the platform with minimal technical experience.
There are low overhead costs for an initial start-up.
The Etsy brand is trusted and their built-in audience and network may put your potential customers at ease.

CONS

Etsy is increasingly becoming saturated and getting noticed could be a challenge.
Customers may not give purchase credit to you but to the platform. “I bought this on Etsy”
Etsy may promote other shops on your shop listing.

Source – The Eco Tree

Must Read Blog Post Roundup

In this post, two of founders share their top blog posts to read and or revisit. These posts will encourage and inspire you. Let us know which posts were your favorites.

Here are Ciatta’s top 4 blog posts:

I really enjoyed “DIY Ankara Fabric Scrap Earrings”. It gave me a beautiful gift idea to show love to women in my life around the holidays.

“Three Mistakes I’ve Made As an Entrepreneur” reminds to keep moving forward as a maker. It’s great inspiration to reference on my maker journey.

“Three Black Illustrators who are inspiring us right now” from Charlene Dunbar spoke to the artist in me and reminded me that art created by people who look like you is necessary and compelling.

Market 3 was my favorite market and “Lessons Learned from Craft Savvy Market 3″ was a wonderful read. It’s awesome to read the different perspectives from my craft sisters on our labor of love.

by Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

Here are Jandi’s must read blog posts:

COVID 19 Lessons Learned Makers Edition -We are all still learning through this pandemic. This blog post is special because it reminds us that even in tough times, we can still grow and learn and choose to move forward.

3 Ways to Beat your Creative Blocks
Creative blocks come from time to time. This post will help you beat those blocks and create space for creating the things you love.

3 Things I wish I knew before I started Crafting
Whether you just started your crafting, or you’ve been doing it for a while, there are some things we wish I knew when I started.

14 Easy Ways to Repurpose Content Coming up with content is difficult. This post will give you clever ways to repurpose your content.