Hi everyone!
It's been a really long time since I posted anything, and it was for good reason. In case if anyone missed it, I was pretty much addicted to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for a solid 7 months. Not to say, nobody was really impressed with me as it ate up so much of my time, and it was just a lot of time wasted flying, queuing, trading, things like that. My husband wanted me to put my energy into something else, so I decided that maybe if I took up a hobby or a craft (other than gaming) it might help.
We were out shopping one day and I came across some really lovely printed fabrics that were made in Japan. Umming and ahing a little, I decided that I won't let them go to waste, and bought them. It was a small investment. I had come across some bows in my drawer that I made many years ago out of felt that I thought were really cute at the time. I had grand dreams back then to somehow make cute little accessories and sell them, but for some reason I never really pursued it seriously (maybe I believed they weren't good enough).
After experimenting and making a few small bows (with the intention of using them to dress my daughter up), I decided that I would put them onto Etsy seeing that it was a rather affordable way to sell some handmade items, without me crying if I sold nothing by the time the ad expired. My bows didn't sell, but I somehow started doing some research to see what others were selling, and decided that hair clips were more practical (my daughter's fringe was getting in the way) - so I ended up making some printed hair clips, and then repurposed my bows to bow clips. Surprisingly after a few weeks I sold my first ever pack of hair clips... and then my second... and eventually a third.
I knew that this wasn't really enough if I wanted to make it a profitable hobby - I mean, the thought of returning to full time work almost scares me, so I figured while I still had the time and energy to do so, I could try to run a small business to see how I could go.
Fast forward to now I think I'm actually doing ok! But it does mean I am very busy, and I haven't even played Animal Crossing for about 3 months now. My game is still in the beginning of March, and I don't want to switch on as I can't deal with the stupid cockroaches running in my home. I'll need to switch on during March and slowly progress a day or a few at a time until present time to get things running smoothly. There are so many new items I want as decor and I still need to complete my DIY collection (that silly shamrock wand - anyone got a spare?! I'll pay NMT for it).
Anyway, I'm quite busy always thinking of new things to create, and what I should make next. It's really exciting, and I'm starting to get the hang of it (sort of). And my experience really goes to show that if it's something important and precious to you, most likely there will be someone out there who will think the same way - and this is what supply and demand is all about.
I'm no business guru and I still have a long way to go, but I have my fingers crossed and holding my hopes high as the sky's the limit. I feel proud of myself for pumping out some really amazing work (to the point I'm not even sure how I made it, and where this sudden hidden skill set has been all my life), but this is just the beginning and I really need to go to more places. Bigger, and better.
For anyone who's reading this and has been sitting on the fence about chasing their dreams, I say there's no good timing to do it, and that you should just do it now. There's no point waiting, just do it. If it doesn't work out, pick yourself up and move on. I did fall once, or twice, but it has just pushed me to do better.
I am incredibly lucky to be in a great country and have family supporting me and understanding where I am headed and what I am trying to do. My goal right now is to keep going, and keep "beating" myself. There's no competition out there for me, except for myself. Misa vs Misa - let's go!
Yours,
