The fallacy of the statement
Published On: 11-25-2011 10:25pm
Comments: 0 - Hits: 11
Category: Not As Easy As It Seems
Well, positive feedback is good but it doesn't pay the bills. For a supposed "unemployed slacker" I've been working many hours a week on making jewelry and accessories, adding items to my Artfire store, and promoting myself and other guild members while also actively job hunting, doing a fair bit of housework, and getting more structured (and free or cheap) exercise into my life. It takes hours to take pictures, process them (my photoshop skills are adequate but not great being that I'm self taught), and add these items to my shop - to say nothing of what it took to create those items in the first place. The average ice resin piece I make takes a minimum of 4 days to complete because many have 2 layers of ice resin (the 2nd layer being poured the day after the first pour is done) which takes 3 full days to finish curing. If it's a piece I did using a mold, there's often sanding, drilling, and other finishing work that needs to take place as well depending on what I want to do with the finished piece and how I want the finish to look.
For all this work I have made 135.50 over 3 months - or just over $45 a month. That doesn't even cover my supply costs in that time.
I've been experimenting with Ice Resin as a way to be able to offer more budget friendly and accessible items that are still interesting, unique, and fun. Some of the experiments have worked out great and some not. Some pieces developed air bubbles or had discoloration issues despite my best efforts. Mostly these are minor flaws that one only notices up close but it means I have to lower my already low prices for them and potentially may have to sell them at cost just so I can replace the supplies I made them with. Friends who mean well say "well at least it wasn't gold or silver..." That's true. On the other hand when you're living off of unemployment (which I have been doing) or off of your meager savings (what I will be doing as my unemployment runs out this week), it's still stressful. Ice Resin isn't cheap. The 4oz kit they sell locally is $25.00 a shot, the frame pendants I used were another $14 (and much more if I use the larger ones available locally which are $5-$7 EACH). I also used several lockets for the experiments - of which 3 of 4 didn't work out (I think that's another $8 or so). You see where I'm going with this...
When you're buying hand made, keep in mind that you're buying from artisans that generally can't afford to buy in bulk like large chains can nor can they live well on the kind of wages paid to people in poorer countries. I like the bead weaving I'm doing and I want to make more and I have a lot of ideas. The supplies aren't as fierce in cost but the time to make these items are much greater. There is some beadwork I'm not sure I'll ever do to put up for sale because the time involved is so great that to get the minimum wage I'd need from it (and by that I mean $8-$10/hr) would be to price it out of the range most people are willing to pay.
Now, despite all this whining and ranting, one of the positive things I've taken from this experience is that I now know that I still love to make jewelry and accessories event when I'm working at it like a job. The long unemployment is making me re-consider my life and what I want to do. I'm stepping outside my box to see if I could make this work if I supplemented it with part time work. The reality is, even if I did, I'd be living on a much smaller budget than when I'm working at software testing and it's difficult to find part time work that have any kind of benefits like health insurance, etc. I have cavities that need filling. I have a windshield that needs replacing. My glasses need replacing and I likely need a new prescription. Etcetera and so forth. Last year my car died and if not for the generosity of a dear friend, I don't know how I would have afforded another car and I'd be in even more dire straights than I am with my unemployment running out.
So, I continue to look for and apply for testing jobs and I continue to work on my Artfire store and promoting it and others in the same boat with me. I'm desperately trying to avoid having to cash out the 401K I have left from the job I worked at for almost 14 years and was laid off from 5 years ago - because it's my last safety net. While I might like to believe that twee bit about "Do what you love and the money will follow" that's really wishful thinking and it's not paying the bills right now...
