Carve out your own path. It can be daunting showing your work to the world, people often ask themselves questions like “will it be good enough, will it stand out and will people want to buy it”. It is important to remember everyone has felt and does feel like this. If you are just starting out there are so many things you can do to quell these thoughts and build your confidence in your craft.

Build your own community

Surround yourself with like-minded people, start your own meetup group and grow your network, these are people you can bounce ideas off and learn from. If you are not ready for a solo venture why not set up a group Pop-Up shop. Meetup.com is a great place to meet new people who share similar interests and it’s particularly rewarding if you live in a rural area where it can be harder to meet like-minded people.

Start with an ETSY Shop

A great place to start if you are ready to start selling but are not ready to commit to a Pop-Up Shop just yet. You will also get really valuable feedback from customers in terms of reviews and you will learn what sells and what doesn’t. ETSY will take a small commission from you for hosting your online shop but it’s a small price to pay for such a great return and fantastic experience.

Motivate yourself

Having good days and bad days will happen, some days you will be more productive than others. Take a break to clear up your workspace and organise yourself. If you need some motivation to watch some TED talks or podcasts with topics relating to your craft. If you can change your scenery – even if it’s just for an hour, this can do wonders for your motivation.

Use Instagram as a showcase for your work

Use any social media platform you would like to, or one that is a good match for what you do. I use Instagram mostly because it relates to my interests the most. You can gain great feedback and get some brilliant inspiration while you’re at it. Instagram is a really supportive online platform and can be super encouraging, you can make some great contacts too!