If you had told me a year ago that I'd be looking at sewing as a profession, I would have said something snarky in the manner of Wayne Campbell.
A year ago, I had just started a new gig as a marketing consultant, and I was excited to show off my mad skilz.
Fast forward to now, and I'm home with my boys, sewing and working on my blog, and loving all of it.
I resurrected Sie macht this spring because I missed blogging and wanted to develop a deep and regular sewing practice. Over this summer, it's become clear that I get into a flow state when I'm sewing and blogging.
So, when I came across Sew Pro, a convention for sewing professionals, it felt like destiny.
What is Sew Pro?
Sew Pro is a convention for folks who want to make a living in the sewing-creative-craft world. It's targeted at sewing bloggers, authors, fabric designers, and pattern designers, and there are tracks for each of those disciplines.
The conference kicks off tonight (Thursday, Sept. 15) with a mixer (cheers!) and wraps Saturday. I'm focusing on the blogger track, but I may bounce to other classes. Here's a sample of some of the blogger classes:
You can check out all the classes at the Sew Pro site.
I'm especially interested in the nitty-gritty details of monetizing a blog, especially what you need in terms of traffic and social following. I also want great tips on photography, because that's a weakness for me.
I'm super excited to hang out with other sewists. Spending time with like-minded people leads to exciting brainstorms, collaborations, and just general good vibes. I want real-life sewing friends!
Quest to be "the only"
I want to turn Sie macht and sewing into some sort of paying gig. Now, what that gig might be, I don't know. I don't have a business model.
I do have writing and storytelling talent, though. And I'm passionate about developing my sewing craft. I figure if I follow these activities that delight and challenge me, something will work itself out. And, honestly, if I never make a dime in the sewing world, at least it will have been fun.
Srini Rau of The Unmistakeable Creative podcast (check it out to stoke your creative fire!) shared some choice wisdom in a recent interview. When it comes to creative endeavors, he said being "the only" is better than being "the best."
I want Sie macht to be "the only." Being "the best" has an undercurrent of perfectionism, and I'm trying to boot that practice out of my life.
What "the only" means for Sie macht isn't yet clear. I think my voice is unique, but I want to keep pushing my sewing and blogging practices.
Maybe I'll stitch through a whole sewing and pattern book. Maybe I'll sew outdoor recreation garments. Maybe I'll design zero-waste garments. Maybe I'll edit and provide creative direction for yet-to-be-released patterns (that's actually something that I think I'd crush!). Who knows?
I hope my time at the Sew Pro convention sparks an idea or reveals an opportunity that's too enticing to ignore. I'll give you a full rundown of my takeaways next week! Stay tuned!
P.S. I'll be tweeting and Instagramming at the conference, so find me on the socials if you'd like to be a fly on the wall!
Edited to add: Here's my review of Sew Pro convention!Labels: Sew Pro, sewing
