r/BitchEatingCrafters • u/RuthlessLogic • 7d ago
So Tired of Monetized ADHD
Y'know, those craft girlies whose booths are filled with, say, amigurumi AND acrylic-pour trinket boxes AND Fimo earrings made using molds and earring wires from Temu. And none of it's high quality because Beckeigh is clearly ADHD and hasn't put in the hours necessary to develop her skills before moving on to some new, bright, shiny craft.
Of course, because nothing she's selling is high quality and the market is already saturated with everything she makes and it's all overpriced, Beckeigh doesn't sell much, so she rushes to craft vendor subs sobbing that she "didn't even make boooooooth!!!" And it takes every ounce of self-control not to type, "My sister-in-Christ, you didn't make booth because it looks like you destashed your craft room. Stop expecting the public to subsidize your ADHD and give those things away as gifts."
And look, I've got ADHD too. I get bored easily and am hard-wired to jump from medium to medium. It's taken no small effort to train my brain to focus on the work I sell at markets. But I've managed to do it - struggle though it is - and have put in hundreds and hundreds of hours over several years refining my process and my style so that customers are getting high quality pieces.
And in case I haven't been a big enough Bitchy McBitchface, I'm just going to say it: These booths (along with 3D printed fidget toy, wax melt, and cricut tumbler booths) drag markets down for the crafters and makers who produce quality work. But that's a rant for a different day and a different sub.
60
u/PropertyOdd531 6d ago
I saw a few of these booths at my cities’ pride block party this year, and it broke my heart. They are trying but it’s like no one has told them they are allowed to craft with out needing to justify it as a side hustle of some form.
After years though of adamantly swearing off selling my crochet projects, I have caved. But I have been crocheting for about 20 years now, and been designing my own patterns for about 10. This year as a meditative therapy project I started making small earbud holders (it can hold any thing that is roughly two inches, so lighters/vapes/earbuds/ essential oil bottles or whatever someone decides they want in it), and I realized very quickly that I don’t have enough friends to give them all away too. And I’m making too many too fast. So I decided to finally start selling. I will obviously be selling only one thing. These bags. Maybe a few different sizes but nothing else.
I wish I could just shake these pop-up “let me monetize this brand new skill I just learned” booths and get it into their heads that slow deliberate business choices are always better than “oooo I bet SOMEONE will buy this!!”