The hardest thing for me is to expose myself to criticism. We all dislike that. Artistic criticism that reflects on something you've created and may even be proud of is harder to accept. Yet that happens each and every time I let someone see what I've created. In my case that would be each time I post a new item on my Etsy store. On the store you don't actually hear the comments but the number of views, favorite views or postings on Pinterest tell the tale. In fact after a discussion with a friend today, his comments caused me to check my Etsy Hearts. This is a compiling of all your item views and if they gave it a heart or favorite. They even give you a ratio of hearts per views. The paintings hands down had the fewer views and even fewer "hearts." As an artist I was a failure.
Oddly, the paintings that I considered minor, learning paintings, had more hearts than larger, more finished, more fully realized paintings. What gives?
Even more puzzling was the fact that craft items I painted were wildly more popular than any of my paintings. Yet, just like the paintings, I realized they didn't sell either. So the dilemma is and I guess remains until I finally give up, what do you do? Crafts? Paintings? Nothing?
Don't give up!
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