Tweeting...

I saw a tweet today that stopped me dead in my tracks: "Etsy was so magical in the beginning."

It stopped me dead because while I am new at the Etsy and Tweeting thing--I am not new at my chosen art: Jewelry Making and Designing. But, that's another story.

I have been watching the tweets from fellow Etsy sellers--and I love you all and love looking at your stuff, but are we missing the mark?  How is tweeting to each other actually helping our sales?  Yes, yes I see that we have views...and for the lucky few that are in Treasury's or have the ability to sit and wait to make their own treasury--is tweeting, and often over tweeting and over retweeting really going to increase sales?

I honestly don't know.

But I come from old school--not online.  When we lived in Fort Lewis (yes we are a military Family and move from post to post) People could touch and feel my pieces--they could really see the intricacy I put into making them--For I personally do not slap together pieces, as I am certain most people on Etsy do not either.

But how, other than an extreme close up on the finish of a necklace--can I show how much effort I put into making sure that the customer will not only love the piece--but also love the absolute technical craftmanship I put into it?

I can not exactly tweet:  Hey look at this fantastic new piece--and the craftmanship that finishes it.

Nor can I waste one of my five pictures to show how much I work on making sure these pieces will last--and last forever.  Trust me I know they will--I have tested them playing with my kids when I have crafted my own necklaces and earrings--I have made pieces in the same manner and sent my 9 year old off to school in them--and boy do they last.

But on Etsy it's difficult to explain that to my customer who is viewing my piece--I can not stand with them and show exaclty how well it is made.

Perhaps that is not the magic the tweeter is speaking of.  The magic, the newness, the excitement of seeing your art or craft viewed (and "hearted") is great for Etsians.  If fills us with a rush of excitement--of knowledge that our art is worthwhile and meaningful to others.

But are we overdoing it and pushing the magic of the Etsy community away?

Dictionary.com defines community as: a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually prec. by the): the business community; the community of scholars. 

So we are a community of Etsians--but are we still part of the greater world community as a whole?  Or are we tweeting to each other, and leaving out the bigger picture? The bigger community?

We tweet that this is a beautiful piece all the time--is that it?  Or is the craftsmanship that each Etsian exudes more important?  Is the fact that we have a store, or that we shop on Etsy an exclusivity feature of our "Community"?


Who are we leaving out and can the magic be brought back?