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Creative spirit

Have you ever spent hours writing, and writing, or creating something, excited to share it with friends and family through social media, and you get crickets.

Not even a like.

Why is it that when I  post a personal picture of me and my family I get tons of likes, and the next minute I post something related to my blog or Etsy and it’s crickets. Nothing. Why is that the case?

I know this title may sound a bit harsh, but it may be true for some of you creative spirits and entrepreneurs out there. I

’m part of a lot of handmade craft and blogging support groups and one key theme I seem to always find is how a lot of artisans and writers have very little support from friends and family ::gasp:: You don’t say?

Please understand that I don’t care if friends and family do NOT buy anything from my Etsy shop. That’s fine, because I understand that my products are not for ‘everyone’. I completely, 100% get that.

But, I do share my blog posts and crafts because I am PROUD of what I created, not because I have any ulterior motives. I just want to share with everyone what I love to do and I’m sure that you like to do the same thing.

The List

This list I made was *inspired* from the top reasons I saw artisans and bloggers continually mention in these support groups. I wanted to write this so you could know that you are not alone and that you have a support system who understands what you may be going through, because being an entrepreneur is not always sunshine and daisies. It’s a lot of picking yourself back up and hustling to make your dreams happen.

5.) Jealousy:


I listed this one as number 5, because I find this to be the least of all the reasons why family and friends don’t support you. But, other artisans have mentioned stories of it happening, so I’ve included it here.  Some people may simply be jealous of your success or even just your passion for whatever you’re doing. I don’t have experience with this issue personally, but I still believe it may be valid reason for why your friends or family don’t support you.

4.) MLM (Multi Level Marketing):

Ok, I had to add MLMs in here, I feel like we are somehow lump-summed with this group. Although we create our own items or content, a lot of people still lump us up with MLMs. I don’t think there is anything wrong with a women making her side hustle or even a full on business through an MLM like Jamberry, Beach Body, It Works, etc. Heck, I even did an MLM it for a little bit.

But, let’s be honest, a lot of people are tired of being bombarded with these posts and maybe friends and family see your business like this too… even though what you do is completely different. We created our business, from the ground up, there is no middle man here, we are the sole creators and workers of our business.
But, nevertheless some people will still categorize us with MLMs simply because we post about our business.

3.) Facebook/ Etsy algorithms:

So, you post and you post on your Facebook page, but no one is liking your posts. You wonder if you are doing enough, are you not posting enough, are you not posting the right content? It’s probably not you, most artisans and bloggers will tell you that Facebooks algorithms for business pages are pretty hard to get around. A lot of them pay to boost their posts and even then, it may not get you a ton of views. So, honey don’t cry any more wondering why people may not be liking your posts, they maybe just don’t see your posts.
I have noticed the same thing with Etsy, oh Etsy. How you toy with my emotions by having a constantly-ever-changing algorithm, always trying to outsmart us savvy business owners. This year (2016) has especially been rough on most artisans with the algorithm changes. Just keep working on your SEO, pictures, and continue posting on social media. Now is not the time to give up.

2.) They think it’s just a hobby/Wanting things for free.

Most of the artisans and writers I talked with agreed that friends and family see their business as just a hobby, not a real source of income whether they have made it big (replaced their income) or they are just starting out. Lets face it, most people don’t understand the countless hours we put into our craft/business. “Blogging” is it even a real job or source of income? Yes it can be!

Did you know there are many bloggers making thousands of dollars a month, THOUSANDS, you guys. Check out “Living For Naptime”  income report and see how she makes a living being a blogger, there are many more like here, replacing their day jobs and doing what they love.

A lot of times, if we are selling a product friends and family may want it for free. I’m on the fence with this one because I love giving things out for free, especially during the holidays or when a new baby arrives, but this is also my BUSINESS. This is not a hobby, the funds I make through my products go towards bills.

I can tell you that I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching, learning, editing my blog, building it up from scratch, learning/creating my brand, finding and editing pictures, creating content. So, this isn’t just a hobby for me, this is a full-time gig, this is a business, it is a real thing and I can guarantee you that I put as much hours or more hours than the average person working a 40hr week job and I’m sure you do too perfecting your craft. This goes for anybody out there doing their own thing!

 1.) They don’t believe in you or that what you’re doing:

For me, this one stings the most. Actually, its more like a stabbing pain right to the heart. The dream you’ve been building up and working on is something that your family/friends don’t support and it hurts. I’ve experienced this one and it definitely cuts the deepest. We all want to be supported by the ones we love and when they don’t think you are capable for one reason or another it hurts.

Friends and family may not support you because they don’t believe in you. Say what? The people you love and care about the most, don’t believe in you? It’s quite possible that they don’t want to see you risk it all and then fail. They may want you to continue to live in a safe, and secure job. I understand where these people are coming from. But I also want someone to tell me its ok, that this isn’t all in vain, and I do support and care about you.

The supportive friends and family.

I haven’t forgotten about you guys who DO have friends and family who support you! Whether it be through social media likes, shares, or through purchasing products, consider yourself blessed!

I do have family and friends who support me through purchasing my products, sharing my Facebook posts, and even in the simplest form by liking one of my social media posts. If you’re reading this, “THANK YOU” for showing that you care even in the simplest of ways, it truly means the world to me!

If you have family and friends like this please make sure to tell them how much you appreciate their support.

You are stronger than you know.

Bottom line, try not to let it get you down. most bloggers and artisans will tell you very similar things that I mentioned in this post. This is not a reflection of you. You work hard and bust your butt daily. Continue to grind and make your dreams come true.

The people who thrive in this game are the people who don’t give up. Continue to push on and do your thing despite what others may think. DO NOT let it defeat you. You are strong and capable of much more than you imagine. There are thousands of artisans and writers rooting for you to succeed. I AM rooting for you to succeed! Go forth and do great things!

Action steps to take:

*Be up front. If you haven’t already. ask them for support through way of “likes, shares, or comments”.

*Continue to improve your business, start writing blog goals such as this one.

This list may not be true for everyone, or maybe you would rearrange the top 5 list differently? How do you feel? Does your family and friends support you or do they think you should stick to your day job?

 

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