Answers

I keep hearing people say they have been meaning to ask me how I have done so well on ETSY,
and I am going to tell you.
When I first started, I hounded the business forum, there was tons of helpful information for newbies there, and it was also a good tool to help get my shop noticed by fellow etsians when i participated in forum posts.
The Etsy Wiki page was helpful, but seems to have vanished into thin air.

But here's the kicker, etsy publishes How -To articles about everything, and really, If I have a question, or if I feel like my shop needs a little freshening up, I hit the books and get to studying. They just updated the list of articles and you can find it here. They call it the "Etsy Seller Handbook".
I know, I know, You were all waiting for some amazing pearl of wisdom, some secret to success that I could simply pass on. If that's what you were looking for, I will tell you my secret:
I work hard, really hard. I think as positively as I can. I am grateful for every little bit, even before I get it.
I am constantly trying to improve my art, my marketing, my photography, and customer service.
I relist daily.
AND FINALLY: I use the Handbook!!!! neeed help with photography, marketing, styling, pricing? click here!
XO

Searching for balance

It seems that change has not been so great for my little operation. after downsizing from my xtra large live work space, ( 2650 sq. ft. was just too much to take care of!!!!), pairing down the studio, apartment and life in general to the bare necessities, i have run into a lot of snags.
I have been on a mission as of late to find a balance between my work and real life. This really means that I would like to see my friends and family on a more regular basis, as well as be able to do some of the things that i used to enjoy pre-business ownership. relocating your studio and entire life in one fell swoop is quite an undertaking, I had multiple shows lined up that month and wanted to have enough work to sustain me while I tried to get settled. then came surgery..... a little unexpected delay in my plans, 2 weeks of hell to be exact!
I thought I had it all figured out, until I was ready to start firing work again , and realized that my kilns were just not quite doing what they were supposed to. Ceramics being the inexact science that it is, I set off to testing. One was simple, an element needs replacing, and I ordered the parts... the other, well, after replacing multiple parts, I realized that the sinking feeling in my gut was right. when I had my new studio wired, they gave me the wrong voltage. So here I am, 6 weeks after I made my move, and I still am not operating at full capacity. It will all be fixed by the conclusion of next weekend, but boy, its been interesting.
I have learned that though I may crave a predictable and somewhat less demanding schedule, I must be happy with cutting out of the studio at dinner time a mere 2-3 nights a week, a day off is a wonderful luxury, and that the world will not end if I decide that I am tired and need a moment to catch my breath.
I have really been soul searching lately, wondering if you really can have it all, and I say , hell, I might as well try. It may not be the easiest profession, and there may be times when I have to go back to my beloved 80 hour week for a time, but dammit, I am gonna enjoy my life.

In a funk

Its been a hard couple of weeks, I had surgery and then a string of unfortunate side effects, rendering me almost completely useless as far as work is concerned.
I keep waking up hoping that today will be the day I will be able to jump back in to a 12 hour studio day, bouncing around doing a million things at once and being happy about it...... It hasn't happened yet.
I always forget how important work is to my sense of well being, I take it for granted really. I moan and complain about the crunchy deposits that form in my shoulders, or how tired I am, and then WHAM! I am unable to pull off more than a few studio hours per day, and it hits me hard! I am so ready to get back to my workaholic ceramics obsessed ways....