Needlefelt and social media

Stitched piece of needlefelt I completed yesterday

As I sent out four pictures to Instagram yesterday and enjoyed looking at other peoples' pictures I wondered: Is this work or is this play? (jenny_handmade_happiness)

Promoting one's business through social media is what most people do. This blog, that I so enjoy, promotes Handmade Happiness, the shop. Most of the photos I put up on Instagram are taken in the shop of things you can buy and yet it all seems too much fun to be called work.

It still seems incredible to me that many people make their living through social media - buying and selling online. Something they don't have to leave the house to be successful at. If you've got a good eye and feeling for what people want - why not?  A successful Etsy site or trading on E-bay is a form of work. But somehow I can't bracket it with going in to the factory or sitting in an office each day. It's work lite. Ironically you can probably make more money with social media than you can on the assembly line and I know what I'd prefer to do.

When I did a bit of voluntary work for AgeUk I was fascinated by the individuals who came in early every morning to sniff out a particular sort of pottery or glass or jewellery that they bought to re-sell on e-bay. They were each specialists and knowing a lot about one particular thing is what their business was based on. Respect to them. But is this work in the way that someone who cleans other peoples' houses works? Work lite again.

By the way I'm closing my Facebook accounts. Too many emails, too much trivia and I'm just not posting on it to make it a worthwhile experience. I hate the fact that if someone types Handmade Happiness in to Google, Fb is the first thing that comes up. I'd rather this blog or Pinterest or Instagram came up. I can see it works for many people but it just doesn't suit me. How do you feel?

When I started this large piece of needlefelting I wanted to make a bag out of it.But now I've stitched into it (hard to see the stitches, I know) I want to do something else with it. Exactly what I don't know right now. Ideas? Enjoy the sunshine!