Feeling disillusioned . . . .

I find myself feeling rather disillusioned these days.

There are a few reasons for these feelings and it's rather personal. I know many people will not understand or care but I feel the need to express why I am feeling the way I am and some possible changes.

First, I have to say again, I never liked facebook.  I have written many times about how I don't like facebook but I don't usually go off on long involved rants about the manipulative Orwellian nature of social media. This being my "business" blog afterall, I don't normally talk about politics or the pandemic or my depression, but I am not just an artist and small business owner I am a whole person with many facets.  One of those facets is the fact that I have never trusted the concept of social media, before facebook even existed or became such a huge problem I'm talking back in the days when the daughter wanted to be on MySpace.  I have always had concerns about the use of social media, I have always had concerns about the manipulative and addictive nature, I have always had concerns about the depression triggers of one's self esteem and self worth being tied to a positive response of virtual strangers.  

Blame it on my IQ or my psychology and sociology classes I have always known the dangers and I resisted.  I watched as our daughter struggled in high school and I tried to limit the exposure and damage but I think I failed her. I resisted joining facebook for Years. I still refuse to join or even read Twitter or Reddit. These big tech companies are all about knowing you better than you know yourself so that they can manipulate you by manipulating the content you see in order to manipulate your thoughts and desires.  I for one have never been on board with signing away my free will and independence of thought.

"If you are not paying for the product, then you are the product."

I caved a few years back and finally joined facebook and created the business page and I have fought the controlling manipulative nature of the beast ever since.  I very rarely enjoy my use of facebook and the new format they are pushing, well I refuse to use.  It has been forced on my screen and each time it shows itself my brain rejects it, that may sound strange but it is true. There are subliminal psychological manipulative triggers built in and although I cannot fully identify them, as I am not in on what they are trying to do. I know they are there and my mind is resisting them because trying to use the new screen gives me a migraine-y headache in less than 10 minutes. Now you may be thinking "she's crazy I don't have that problem". I'm sure most people don't, the overwhelming majority of people will never realize what is happening to/in their brains, in fact, facebook is counting on that.  I am aware that this probably sounds paranoid and slightly insane but it is what it is and I am not wrong.  

I have tried for years to warn friends and family about facebook use, the dangers of oversharing, the data collection from what you think is innocuous comments that actually lead to identity theft, the loss of the concept of privacy.  No one listens, often they get defensive and take it personally like my attempting to warn them is somehow insulting their intelligence, even though if they were truly intelligent they would not need to be warned that publicly sharing everything with the entire globe is not really safe.  People who really should know better often revert to the child-like "everybody does it" defense, that my Momma always responded to with "if all your friends jumped off a bridge would you?"  

This is a fundamental personality trait you are either a jumper or a thinker and in the last couple of decades I have watched as our society has shifted proportionally to be more jumpers than thinkers.  I have watched as people I thought I knew have changed on a fundamental level from thinkers to jumpers and I find it really sad and hard to accept.  To be blunt and perfectly honest I don't want to play anymore, but our society has become so tech ingrained and dependent that there is virtually no escape.

The fact that the concept of a "social media cleanse"even exists should tip you off about the addictive and destructive nature of social media.  Think about it, if it were not addictive, manipulative, and destructive then you wouldn't need to "cleanse" which is like detoxing from heroine.  The problem is social media is not only as addictive as a dangerous drug, the real problem is people do not realize it and that makes it even more dangerous. If you knew a friend was addicted to a deadly drug you would want to get them help, you would want them to quit but with social media no one wants you to quit, everyone encourages you to not give up. 

I have had these growing concerns for a decade and I see the problems only getting worse. If you think this is purely paranoia maybe you should watch the Netflix show /the social dilemma_ where the founders and creators of these manipulations confess the true nature of what they created and how they have lost control. 

I plan to dramatically reduce my use of facebook and other social media.  I am aware that it will likely dramatically and negatively impact my business. Face it what is an online business without social media to promote it?  

Back to chainmaille. . .

I have been so busy for months now setting up the goimagine.com shop, getting to know the new platform, re-shooting photos for piles of stuff, trying out new art ideas, and on and on.  It has been pretty productive I have made lots of new art, I have nearly everything listed on goimagine that I want, but I had not made new chainmaille in months. 😕

Literally, the last new chainmaille I made was back in mid-June. 

And to be honest that didn't go exactly to plan, the centipede pattern I was trying didn't work as my rings are not the right proportion so I ended up with a variant.  

Now don't misunderstand me, I do think my variant is cool as heck, all double layered and unique, But it is not what it should be and it's not really what I had in mind. 😏 It's hard to be disappointed in something that turned out so pretty but that's where my crazy shows because I was, disappointed. 

However, even disappointing myself cannot keep me from playing with my rings forever.  Oddly it was the arrival of piles of new art supplies that turned me back to my rings. ~LOL~  I know I'm weird like that. 😇  I ordered some frames mainly because I got a good deal and I thought having the art framed might help it sell, I mean people don't always know what to do with a canvas by itself.  Unfortunately, I could only buy a few because even on super sale frames are expensive.  So I have 6 frames and literally 101 paintings to choose from. 😵  I have no idea how I'm going to decide which pieces to frame, the flag collection, the wood words collection, some of the older pieces? ?  😟  I just don't know, so I changed gears.

I ran back to my safety zone, playing with rings where RainbowMaille started.  When I was pulling out all my different colors I found a bag of odd ball larger rings that I ordered a while back.  I had wanted a slightly larger size for a pattern I wanted to try that required 3 sizes of rings, for all these years I have only had 2 sizes of anodized aluminum.  I know many are shocked when they realize I have managed to learn/make 16 patterns and variants with only 2 ring sizes.  😁  However when I ordered the "larger rings" I screwed up and bought the wrong size for what I had in mind at the time and was disappointed in myself when they arrived.  I just kind of chucked them in the drawer and sighed not knowing what to do with them as they were too big and all wrong proportionately. 

Sitting at my bench this past week, making a bracelet in a variant in new colors (I plan to gift it to someone) I started to contemplate the odd over-sized rings.

 
This is what I came up with, they remind me of quilt squares and now my brain is on fire trying to figure out what all I can do with them.  I like the idea of a single one in a diamond orientation as a pendant but I think I want it on a leather cord not a chain, as I don't like mixing chain patterns really sometimes it just looks weird. They would be great as earrings, I think they will fit on that barrette bases.

In the bracelet context I started debating whether they should be square and connected double corners, if it is then it's cuff-like and would need a sliding bar clasp.  They could be attached in a diamond orientation that makes it a bit weaker in appearance in the single attachment point but I can always triple up on the rings and it would be secure, although a narrow attachment leads me back to the standard lobster clasp, which leaves the clasp as the weak point. 

My concern there is because with 34 rings in a 1" inch square by the time you put 7-8 of them in a bracelet it could be a bit weighty, although it's anodized aluminum not steel or copper so really how heavy can it get?  Well that depends on if I actually use 7-8 in the bracelet I could always use extra rings maybe a mobius knot in between.  The design is sort of based on Helm's chain so these could be center emblems in a helms based bracelet, there are so so many possibilities.  😳

I ran from the art frames because I was having trouble making decisions and now I've landed myself right back in a pile of decision making. ~sigh~   That's life for ya' 😉

My art is . . .

 I want people to like my art. I want people to buy my art.

I do not want to make things I don't like just because people will buy it. (the definition of "selling out" in my opinion)

Sometimes being an artist is weird, or maybe I'm just a weird artist.  I make things because I had or have a picture in my head, a vision, an idea.  It has never been a goal to become rich or famous.  My art is a form of personal expression, while I hope it resonates with someone and I hope that people will like the things I make, it is not necessarily a goal. 😏 

This is where the "artist" and the "business owner" diverge. As a business owner, of course, I understand and recognize that "sales" and making money is important, for some people that is the entire goal and purpose.  But that is not really for me, I don't want to make "prints" and sell the same piece of art over and over until 100 people have the same thing.  I love making new things, I love making one of a kind things and I am happiest when I love the things I make. 😇

Art is incredibly subjective, every one likes different things, which is why generally speaking I do not create with an audience in mind. Now that may be incredibly naive and backwards to some but trying to think of what people will pay for has never been part of my creative process. 😕  I'm not sure I could that. 

Facebook. . .

 Facebook is annoying me, this is nothing new really facebook has been annoying me in various ways for years now. 😏

I have a business "page" which they said would be good for sharing and promoting a business and products. But it has never really worked that way, you only get seen if you pay for ads. I know that sounds cynical but 5 years of experience says it's just the way facebook works. My page has been building a following for years and sadly even though I have over 230 "likes" and over 240 "followers" when I post to my page my stats show an audience on average of 20 people.  So facebook does not serve my content to all my 240+ followers, which stinks considering those people took affirmative actions and clicked the like and/or follow to express their desire to see my content. 😕

I have known that for a couple of years now, as even my best friend never sees what I post on my business page even though she has both "liked" and "followed".  Now maybe she just doesn't scroll far enough in her feed or more likely facebook just doesn't put my page posts in her feed. 

Now for the last year facebook has been nagging at me via suggestions and notifications and other methods that I should start a "group" in support of my business "page". Until recently I resisted because it didn't seem to make sense, it seemed repetitive and pointless, and like a lot more work coming up with more posts, more content. However, in discussions last week someone else said something that made me re-think that. . .see when you are a member of a "group" and someone posts in the group you get a notification of the activity, most will click the notification and go to the group and see the new post, whereas when I post to my "page" no one gets an actual notification and it may or may not ever get served in their feed. 😐

So I caved and created a "group" from my business "page" RainbowMaille shows as the group creator/owner, which is cool but now I can't get anyone to join it.  Literally, facebook will not let me invite my "page" followers to join the "group" in spite of there being a button for exactly that.  

When I click the "invite" button it gives me this stupid pop up that says I have no one to invite. 

That's totally bogus, what about the hundreds of "followers" or at least the 3 friends that have achieved "top fan" badges??? Why am I not allowed to invite anyone, is this a glitch or just more of facebook being annoying on purpose?  😕

Just as annoying as that dysfunction ^ . . .when I created the group yesterday it made a post on my business page saying I had created a group but apparently that post has not been shown to ANYONE. 

So seriously how the H*LL is one supposed to get anyone to join a "Group" for a "business page" when they won't let me invite my followers and they won't even show the page post to anyone?  😠
😣😟😒😖😵😶

P.S. It took a week after reporting my issue but suddenly the "invite" button for the group let me invite people, not all 240+ people but some people, so it's a start. 😇

productively non-productive. . .

 Sometimes it's necessary to be productively non-productive.

You may be wondering what I mean by that, I know productively non-productive may sound contradictory, counter-productive and even oxymoronic. 😏

When it comes to running my business there are many productive non-productive things I do, my husband would refer to these as "value-added" or non-value-added.  I can be doing valid, even important, things but they result in no product. Marketing, this very blog post, taking photos, editing photos, verifying inventory, tool maintenance like re-dipping my pliers are all examples of me being productively non-productive.  I do lots of stuff but I have nothing new to physically show for it in the end. 😕

Some days my husband comes home and asks how was my day or what I did today and I feel silly because even if I ramble off a list of a dozen things he just looks at me like I'm crazy. 😌 

I took out the trash, ran and emptied the dishwasher, separated the mini-magnets from the wire trees into different binders, updated my art notebook, shot photos for instgram and my blog, made 5 social media posts, stripped and re-dipped 13 pair of pliers, then cooked dinner.  It just doesn't sound that impressive, there is no perspective on just how much time each thing takes.  I would say I was productive as I accomplished a lot of different things but I have no new fabulous art or jewelry to show him so it's hard for him to understand that I actually was busy All Day. 😒  I may be a "housewife" but I do not sit on my couch watching soap operas and eating bon-bons all day every day. 

Even when I do spend hours sitting still on my computer it is reading, researching, marketing, social media, testing keywords, editing listings, etc.,  Just think of the duck on a pond analogy on the surface it appears calm but below the surface his little feet are flapping like mad. 😉

So while today was too windy outside to spray more glossy finish on my painting and the lack of sunshine in these clouds means I couldn't shoot photos for all the jewelry in that pile that still needs to get listed, instead I took care of my pliers and shifted some inventory storage. 

I hate facebook. . .

 Seriously folks, I have always hated facebook, it took years for my Mom to convince me to make a profile and I only did it to send her bonus stuff for "Ghosts of Mistwood" a game that no longer even exists. 😕

I have never trusted facebook they collect and track too much personal info. People on facebook are entirely too trusting those stupid 20 question games that ask things like"what's your favorite color" "what's your pet's name" "what was your first car" those things are designed to provide info for hackers, think about it those are the answers to standard security questions, throw in your momma's last name and your birthday and welcome to total ID theft. Yeah those are covered by those what's your stripper name posts where they ask the month and day you were born to pick from the lists to make up something goofy.  😐 Layer onto that the number of people who use facebook on their phone to "check-in" basically telling everyone where they are and that it's a fine time to rob their house since they aren't home. 

I think you get my point(s).  The only reason I created my business facebook page is because everything says a business should have a facebook presence, but facebook limits the reach of small business pages. It has reached the point where you have to pay for ads to even be seen by one's own followers, which I think stinks since the notion that someone liked and/or followed the page means they are interested in the page/business/content.  So why should I have to pay for ads to reach people who have already agreed by affirmative actions that they Want to see my posts?  Simple answer facebook is greedy their entire business model is based on selling ads so if they hide your stuff unless you pay up they win. 

Yesterday they shoved a new layout page format on me, like I logged in and BAM there it was in my face. 😒  It is ugly and I am hating it for many many reasons, not just that it's new. 

My business page now gives me a headache to look at, I have to scroll forever to see my post from yesterday, there is a bunch of crap at the top that I am not interested in and have no desire to see, including a repeatedly appearing pop up suggestion to set up ads. 😠  I have x'd it out 3 times but every time I come back from a group or another page it just reappears.  It gave me notifications that I shared my own post, like I need a notification for that, I did it I already knew.  The off-center cover photo makes  me feel like am sitting crooked. The giant side menu that does not collapse and just eats screen space is ugly and stupid while being a total waste of space.  The "rounded corners" are the worst, boxes are square, squares have corners, corners by definition should not be round, the phrase "rounded corners" is oxymoronic and makes my brain hurt.

I switched back to the classic and filled out the survey telling them how much I hate the new one and everything I think is wrong with it. I can only hope that enough people also complain that they re-think this disaster or at least make some modifications. Sadly, I doubt even if every single person on the planet complained that it would actually change anything.  😕

Once the new fugliness becomes permanent I will use facebook way way less, I cannot spend extended periods of time on a site that gave me a headache in 10 minutes.  😐

learning goimagine. . .

 I have written before about how when I start on a new site I like to spend some time literally hovering every inch of screen and clicking every possible button, just to see what it does. 😁

I know it may sound weird but there are so many things you can find and learn by simply taking the time to investigate.  While hovering your cursor around a screen watch for things that change color, watch for the cursor to change, watch for things that are underlined, look for little arrows, there are a lot of sometimes subtle clues. 😉

I have been on goimagine and working on my shop since April so I have over 4 months in watching the site and vendor interface evolve and become what it currently is and in that time I have learned a lot about how it functions.  Some of the things I found where pretty well hidden. Some of the things I've learned, I learned don't always work exactly as expected. 

One of the things I learned fairly early that is very helpful is that you can edit prices, qty, and status straight from the "Product" list without ever opening the listings individually.  If you hover over the price or qty, or just click where they are, type-able boxes appear and you can make changes right then and there, just remember to click the "Save" button up top in the corner. 😉

The next awesome and helpful thing I learned is the bulk editing options, which are pretty amazing.  Goimagine's bulk edit allows you to edit as many listings at once as you want up to and including all. Now selecting them all can be tricky because the checkbox to select all is virtually invisible until it's clicked, the arrow for the drop down does not appear unless you hover or click right there.   

Once you have selected the listings you want to edit a magical new menu bar appears with several options. The "edit selected" gives you the amazing list of things to edit, it comes as a pop-up box with a massive amount of choices.

I highly recommend scrolling down to the "unselect all" to start.

You can pick whatever you want to edit, you can edit multiple things for each listing, just click the checkbox(es) with what you want to edit and click "Modify selected" and edit away. This can be handy for many reasons, if you want to add seasonal search terms, adjust your shipping time frames, change your shipping box sizes, etc.,

With Labor Day coming many may be thinking about having a "Sale" and while goimagine does not yet have coupon options you can definitely have a "Sale".  Actually, there are multiple ways to achieve that, you can simply change the "Price" from the "Product" list, you could use the bulk edit option, or you could use the "Global Update" which can be tricksie as many don't even know where it is. 

The "Global update" is similar to the bulk editor but more specific.  It can be used to set discounts on any or all listings but it is a multi-step process. First you don't select the listings first, just click the gear and select the "Global update", that will take you to a new screen. 

In this process you can set a discount by $dollar amount or %percent, note that in order for it to be a "Discount" you need to put a minus - so that it is subtracting. Then you select the products you want the "Global update" to apply to, you can only select so many at a time, even if you click the top checkbox it only selects the ones on the shorty page unless you change how many appear on the page.

Although, the search function in here is cool if you want to only discount a specific style of product or category, like just the earrings and not necklaces.   

Once you've set your discount and select items just click "Apply" up in the corner. 😇  

Now a bit of a warning, I know NOW a warning. ~LOL~  Yes while setting a discount with the "Global update" option is an easy way to discount lots of listings at once, there is no time frame the discount will remain in place until you undo it.  

WARNING : if you try to undo a "Global update" discount by reversing the process (using global update to increase the price back up by the same percent as the discount) it will not reset your prices to full regular retail, rounding and math and stuff. It will in fact be off by change. 

So your best option to reset your prices after a "Sale" is to manually reset them by just typing them in on the "Products" list so that your "Price$" and "List Price" match again.  😉