While in times like these, it’s pretty amazing that we have the Internet and social media to help us all stay connected, that connection can come with some pretty harsh side effects. Like shame.
As we share more of ourselves or our businesses online, there seem to be more people willing to criticize us for our choices. And for some people, the fear of that criticism keeps them from sharing at all. Or worse still, sends them into analysis paralysis, fearing the ramifications of either choice. (For example, the dual charges to stay home but still support local business has sent me into a few agonizing spirals this week. And don’t give me that “buy gift cards” tip. Some of my local businesses don’t have websites!)
It can feel particularly rough when that shame centers around selling and sharing your art. I know this, because in my last post (on birthing art babies) I had many people respond to thank me for giving them permission to keep selling their work right now, especially if it is how they pay the bills.
And since it seems like many people could use that reassurance, I wanted to share more explicitly why it’s totally ok to keep selling and sharing amidst this global crisis.
When it comes to selling, there are really three kinds of shame I’m seeing right now:
1. Shame about selling at all.
This one has been pervasive not only in the arts community, but in the online business community at large. People are getting criticized or feeling guilty for selling. Some people (I am not one of them) feel like you should be either giving things away or not selling at all. But I happen to think that those are mostly people who are jealous that they don’t have something to sell online right now.
Because here’s the reality. The economy is getting hit hard by this. There is no doubt about that. Which is why it’s essential that those of us who have ways to make money right now continue to do so. I put it more bluntly in Artists and Profit Makers, “those of us who have the privilege of being able to make money online MUST continue to do so, for the good of the greater economy.”
One way I like to assess shame like this is to put it through a different lens. No one is arguing that toilet paper manufacturers should be giving their product away right now. It’s understood that they have bills that need to be paid in order to keep making toilet paper. Plus, if they gave it away for free, people would hoard it even worse than they already did. That being said, price gouging, or taking advantage of people by overcharging for toilet paper, is also not cool right now.
There’s a balance. And when you apply that other lens it’s perfectly reasonable to say, “if these businesses are still able to sell what they produce, then I can too” as long I’m not being a dick about it.
Now I know some of you are going to say “but toilet paper is essential” (though you could make the argument that there are many countries where people use far less than we do, and if everyone had a bidet, we wouldn’t have this problem) “and what I make isn’t.” Which leads me to the second kind of shame I’m seeing right now…
2. Shame about selling something “frivolous”.
This one is pretty specific to the artist and maker community. I see so many people saying “well no one is going to want art or jewelry right now, because they are freaking out, so why should I even bother selling?”
But as an extrovert who works from home, I can tell you it’s the “frivolous” things that keep me sane and happy. Surrounding myself with art and plants, drinking out of my favorite handmade mugs, reading books instead of scrolling my phone. These are the things that make my work from home life better. And I need them now more than ever, as my normally isolated days become even more isolated.
So if you sell those things, keep selling them. Because there are plenty of people who aren’t as aware as I am, and they haven’t yet discovered the magic of art to make their homes happier. It’s your job to help them see how your work can actually have a positive impact as they are spending more time at home. (If you need more reassurance of this, check out the book Joyful.)
And that goes for all you wearable makers as well. My friend Stasia, who is a stylist, has been sharing the importance of getting dressed while being stuck at home. The reality is, what you wear has just as big of an impact on your mood as what you surround yourself with. (For some people, even more so.)
It’s important to acknowledge that if we take the proper precautionary steps, we can spare a lot of people from horrible physical illness right now. But we also have to acknowledge the toll those precautionary steps are going to have on a lot of peoples’ mental health.
While it’s easy in this time of crisis to say that what you are doing is not valuable if you aren’t a doctor, nurse, or researcher working on a cure, I would argue that is patently not the case. (Plus, if you’re like me, and the sight of blood makes you squeal, you could never do those jobs anyway.) We need all kinds of people to make the world whole. Plus mental health is an important part of overall health, and I truly believe that art and handmade objects can have a very real impact on how we feel every day.
So for those of you who are already selling, getting over this type of shame is huge in continuing to sell. Know that what you make has value, even in (especially in) time of crisis.
But for those of you who are still working towards selling (or working on something new) this third type of shame (which is the most internal of the bunch) might be the one that’s holding you back.
3. Shame that something needs to be perfect in order to sell it.
This is the version of shame that’s been kicking my butt lately. For the last few years, I’ve had my course Do/Teach off the market, because I felt like until I updated it, it wasn’t worth selling. I’ve only made it available a few times in the last few years when it seemed appropriate, most notably being after the 2016 US presidential election, when I felt like the world could use a little more art.
When a friend asked last week if I still had my course to help people teach online, I realized I should make it available again, because it is exactly the sort of thing that is incredibly helpful in a situation like this. And as I was going through the content, I realized that there was actually very little that needed updating in order to get the class where it needed to be. (Honestly, I was able to get it done in a little over a day.)
I KNOW that running online classes can have a huge impact on the bottom line for artists and makers (because I’ve seen it happen time and time again, for myself and others) but I was hiding this course because it was set up on a slightly older platform and a few of the videos on technology needed updating. I had decided that it wasn’t perfect, when in reality it was still REALLY DAMN VALUABLE. What a WASTE!
And you might be feeling that same way about something you’re working on. Maybe you’ve got a lot of work sitting around your studio that you haven’t sold because it’s “not quite right.” Now is the perfect time to bring that work into the light of day. I’ve seen a few of my ceramics and jewelry friends doing seconds and samples sales online right now, and I LOVE it.
The truth is, most people will never notice the flaws that we, as the creators, see. Instead, they’ll simply be happy to get the work for a discount. (And you’ll be happy to get that work out of your studio.)
This is the type of shame that holds us back from selling even when the world isn’t so harsh, but now is the perfect time to look at ways to move past that shame so you can put more of your work into the world. It’s the perfect time to look around your studio (or your online offerings) and see what you’ve been keeping locked up for fear it isn’t good enough.
And this can be especially helpful if you need to keep selling to support yourself or your family but don’t have the mental bandwidth to make a lot of new work.
Shame can stop us creatives from selling our work to its full potential even in the best of times, but I implore you, don’t let shame stop you now. It’s my belief that we need all hands on deck to help us get through both this medical and economic crisis, and that includes the hands of artists, makers, and creatives.
Now is the time to be brave, tell shame to shove it, and own your value. I know it can be hard, but it’s also totally worth it.