Quit your day job, or don't.

Check out this CNN video of our pal & fellow Baltimore crafter talking about working for herself.
There's been skepticism about etsy.com lately, and how their mini-campain "quit your day job" gives sellers false & unrealistic hopes of becoming insta-entrepreneurial-successes. But I don't subscribe to the cynicism or finger waggling. Say what you will about it being a longshot to quit your day job and make things in your basement for a real salary, but I think they're suggesting the potential, not the promise, right? ... and they offer you that potential for 20 cents per listing, and a small commission of each sale. Not a bad deal when you come in just wanting to see if you can sell things, and don't want to break the bank opening a store, or paying for your own website, huh? Also, if you really read that slogan and quit your job to sell your needlework just because Etsy mentioned it, and then didn't make a million dollars... well, you're an idiot, not a victim. But I still feel your pain.
I'm happy to give Etsy credit with helping start & maintain Red Prairie Press as my career. I also work extremely hard, chose something to make that turned out to be particularly lucrative in comparison to other crafts (by luck, not genius), and promoted myself too, but etsy, much more than any other online resource, has had a big hand.

I know Etsy is not a perfect site. I also know that it's very rare to make enough on etsy to support yourself. In fact, I don't even do that. I also have my own website, 30 wholesale accounts across the country, and 20 craft fairs each year. I apply for grants annually, and sell my paintings on the side. Is it easier than just sticking with your dayjob? Nope. Is it more stressful & risky? probably. So maybe you SHOULDN'T quit your miserable day job. But that slogan would get a lot more criticism for Etsy, who's main purpose is to box out "the man" and give the little guys like us a shot.

In conclusion, GO ALLISON! It's always inspiring to see other crafters making it happen. It's even inspiring to see that it's a struggle, so long as we can all stay above water & wave to each other now and then! Might we all be so fortunate as to have jobs we love this much our whole lives, and have a resource like etsy to support our crazy ideas.

PS- to join a great conversation about all this, and read other people's much more intelligent thoughts on similar matters, check out Crafting an MBA.