Gina of A Piece of Art
Etsy | Facebook
What got you started with selling online? What inspired you to put yourself out there?
I am really new to selling online but it has always intrigued me. The idea of “reaching out”, of surpassing geographical constraints was what got me hooked with the whole idea in the first place. I would spend hours browsing the web for other artists’ online stores admiring their work while dreaming about opening mine. That vague dream started slowly evolving to an actual plan and…here I am.
But it took me quite a while to get here. I could go on for hours saying that that I didn’t have enough time to invest in online selling; that my day job kept me way to busy etc. But the truth -from a psychologist’s point of view (that’s my educational and professional background) - is that as a perfectionist I was pretty reluctant to “expose” myself out there. I would find all sorts of excuses: “my pictures are not good enough”, “figuring shipping cost is complicated”, “I do not have enough items to list” are just a few to name. I had signed to Etsy with a seller’s account back in 2009 but I eventually started listing my creations this November. I just woke up that morning and knew it was time.
What is your absolute favorite piece in your shop(s)?
Since every piece I create is made with lots of love and reflects a part of me, it is quite hard to decide. There are so many jewelry pieces that I adore and was hard to part with…But if you insist, I will have to distinguish my “bliss” pendant. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
What's the most important thing that you've learned through your experience selling and promoting yourself online?
Since I am quite new to selling online, as I mentioned before, I am still learning valuable lessons. But it’s obvious that if you want to succeed in such a highly competitive and dynamic field as online commerce, you have to dedicate yourself to it. You need to invest time, personal effort and patience. As in any job, you need to be trustworthy and professional. And, of course, networking is highly important. Since you’re in for the ride, you might as well enjoy it and make friends. In such a short period I’ve already meet some really nice people from around the globe and look forward to meeting more.
What is your favorite quote (funny, inspirational - anything!)?
My favorite is a quote by Erma Bombeck:
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
Etsy | Facebook
I am really new to selling online but it has always intrigued me. The idea of “reaching out”, of surpassing geographical constraints was what got me hooked with the whole idea in the first place. I would spend hours browsing the web for other artists’ online stores admiring their work while dreaming about opening mine. That vague dream started slowly evolving to an actual plan and…here I am.
But it took me quite a while to get here. I could go on for hours saying that that I didn’t have enough time to invest in online selling; that my day job kept me way to busy etc. But the truth -from a psychologist’s point of view (that’s my educational and professional background) - is that as a perfectionist I was pretty reluctant to “expose” myself out there. I would find all sorts of excuses: “my pictures are not good enough”, “figuring shipping cost is complicated”, “I do not have enough items to list” are just a few to name. I had signed to Etsy with a seller’s account back in 2009 but I eventually started listing my creations this November. I just woke up that morning and knew it was time.
Since every piece I create is made with lots of love and reflects a part of me, it is quite hard to decide. There are so many jewelry pieces that I adore and was hard to part with…But if you insist, I will have to distinguish my “bliss” pendant. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
What's the most important thing that you've learned through your experience selling and promoting yourself online?
Since I am quite new to selling online, as I mentioned before, I am still learning valuable lessons. But it’s obvious that if you want to succeed in such a highly competitive and dynamic field as online commerce, you have to dedicate yourself to it. You need to invest time, personal effort and patience. As in any job, you need to be trustworthy and professional. And, of course, networking is highly important. Since you’re in for the ride, you might as well enjoy it and make friends. In such a short period I’ve already meet some really nice people from around the globe and look forward to meeting more.
My favorite is a quote by Erma Bombeck:
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
Thank you so much for sharing my work!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to dedicate yourself to promoting your work even if people don't like that you are single minded about it.
ReplyDeleteNice interview and beautiful work! Love those earrings! :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic interview and a lovely shop. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHats off to both the interview and your shop! Well done!
ReplyDelete