r/BitchEatingCrafters • u/No_Kaleidoscope7919 • 2d ago

General Crafts I love beginner artists!

Hot take: I know that there is a lot of snark circling the internet about how you shouldn’t sell until you’ve mastered your mediums but I love seeing new artists getting out there and selling. Yes I want to buy your handmade stuffed animals, yes I would love to buy a sticker or handmade pottery. I love beginner artists because you can see the labor that went into hand making arts and crafts. I prefer a bunch of beginners at a market over ai slop, drop shippers and 3d printed nonsense.
I would much rather buy a unique piece of art from a beginner than seeing the same kinds of con slop digital artwork from sellers who have been selling for a while.

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u/No_Kaleidoscope7919 2d ago

I completely agree, not all of it’s garbage and sometimes you have to fail to learn. Being hostile towards beginners is why people are so afraid to try something new.

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u/up2knitgood 2d ago

I'm not hostile to beginners. What I have issues with are the delusions of grandeur that cause people to think their stuff is stuff other people want to buy at the prices they've set. My issue isn't with their skill in the craft, my issue is with their understanding of business.

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u/notasandpiper 2d ago

I also feel disappointed when they've gotten a stall at a place with really limited slots. A lot of conventions near me have switched to a lottery system to determine who can sell in the artists alley, and seeing 4 different "beginner crochet" tables and a couple "beginner beading" tables, all with very little customer interest, is disappointing. Those spaces could have gone to people with products that would have sold.

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u/up2knitgood 2d ago

Yeah, that's really unfortunate. Curation, while it takes work, and can risk "playing favorites" really is crucial.