Every month a group of 9 women crafters from around the world, answer one question giving interesting and variated answers bathed by their own cultural and geographical differences.
This month’s question is: “What is your purple cow?”
The “purple cow” is a concept ellaborated by Seth Godin in his book “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable”. In this book, among other things, he explains how in order to succeed one must be remarkable. Different…. like a purple cow in a field of Holsteins. It has to do with marketing and how you should approach it in order to make your businness stand out for its uniqueness in a very competitive market.
So…my purple cow. Wha is my purple cow. Are we talking about an individual product?? a certain quality of my work? This subject has had me thinking long and hard for a couple of days. For a long time now I’ve been battleing in my head with this two “theories” of mine: should I just produce items that seem to be successful and sell well and close ranks behind this or these items? Or should I just go on producing whatever I feel like making regardless of whether it will be “sellable” or not?
You see, the Seed Pod bags, like this Charcoal Gray one, are quite sucessful.
Some clients liked the shape of the bag and wanted different surface design which I gladly made. But after a while, although I really like them, I wanted to move on. You see, I get bored if I make the same thing over and over. I guess Im more inclined to make what Im inspired to make rather than making a series of things that look alike, eternally. The fun of the experimentation is then gone. This seed pod bags could be my purple cow? everyone mentioned how original and unique they are… the very colorful ones and the more subdued ones.
On the other hand, if we consider the “purple cow” to be a quility of the work I make, I suppose the colorfullness of my creations would be a very strong candidate for that post. However, am I the only colorful fibre artist? No.
So, as you see, Im still debating here. Im still not sure of what conforms my “purple cow” and precisely because of that I think I haven’t found it yet. If I had, I would know instantly that this or that is my “battle horse”… the face with which I show my self in the biz world. Your purple cow should become the centre of your marketing campaign so you have to be very aware of it.
I’m not worried that I’m not there yet. I mean, I wish I had everything already solved and working smoothly, but the truth is that this is yet one more thing that one has to discover by being immersed in the process. And maybe as an artist Im not there yet. Im still exploring and learning -as I suspect I will always be- so I can ‘t settle on one thing. Again the previous question… do I make to sell, or do I make what Im inspired to make?
I don’t know yet but this is a very interesting topic and I suggest all of you in the craft-biz world to ponder on it a bit… you might come out wiser afterwards.
Do please check the blogs of the other members of this merry-go-round.
Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design
Wendren at Wren
Sara at Sara’s Texture Crafts
Charlotte at Fancy Picnic
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent
Fabienne at Easterya
Ruth at Birdland Creation
Lily at LilyPang Art and Design
mmmmmmmmmm…….me dejaste pensando….
(pero la ansiosa que hay en mi dice que tus colores son increibles…)
No sabes lo que me paso…….!!!
Viste que te conte del fieltro, y que ya iba a aparecer alguien que me enseñe? Bueno, la chica esta que hace, ayer me la encontre y me comenta que si consigo vellon, nos ponemos a hacer, y justo mi marido, no se porque, habia encargado dos bolsas!! Asi que, veremos veremos!
mmm…
not easy questions
I feel we are still just at the beginning of our journey, the answers will come with time
It’s a really interesting debate – lots of food for thought here! I think as crafters we always need to be exploring even if it means losing out financially
Don’t make to sell! It is soul destroying… And your soul is so bright and vibrant, it would be a CRIME!!! Bright colours are an obvious part of your cow, you can be outrageously bright and beautifully colourful (thinking of your tiles), as well as soft and muted (your beautiful grey pod bag), and maybe you can bring back a particular style or pattern from Patagonia that will become your purple cow… I disagree (though I understand – I am the same!) on your pods becoming boring for you to make: you have found a style and shape that people like, and you can build on it and experiment with it, because you’ve done the hard bit, you got something there!! Now you maybe need to look at it in a different way?
Great post, as always!!
BTW I read the post when you arrived in Argentina, it chocked me, beautiful and heartfelt, struck such a cord with me I cried…
I can understand you very well that although you like your Seed Pod bags and gladly made some variations to it you then wanted to move on, you got bored.
I myself made several variations to my red hazelnut leaves and walnut leaves silk scarves – bu only as long as I liked experimenting with them. And if someone wanted me to make ten more I probably could not.
But on the other hand, if this is your living there must be an equilibrium between creativity and sell-ability which is sometimes difficult to reach.
To me your purple cow is the flower of lines and your innocent design style and the colors. All together that are yours and nobody has it.
I’m wondering whether looking for one’s purple cow is not already enough to make you one…
Wow. This Merry has got us all thinking!! I have seen over the past 18 months your work move along, gather pace and come together. I totally know the feeling of boredom when making too much of one thing. Maybe that’s because we are always looking, searching for what should come next so that our minds don’t go stale. Your pods have done so well! I think I agree with Fabienne – I bet these pods will lead you on down the line, evolving and changing, but remaining very much ‘florcita’ – no-one else, my dearie, but you xx
umm…. you have hit the nail on the head and your dilemma really resonates with me.
See, I have been creating the Big and Small Town Bags since I started Wren. They were Wren in fact. They sell well but they were a product out of necessity (I needed something to sell). I loved selecting the fabric, making stories with it and when the bag was complete, I could not be more excited. Now, it can be days before I take them out of the bag to admire and even then, it’s just a case of “oh, thats nice” and I put it on the hat stand. The excitement it not there anymore and I wonder if I should continue making them anymore or move on. They sell so to stop making them feels like a foolish business decision. However I have decided to take the plunge and after Christmas my stock will go on a big sale and that will be the end of these bags (sshhh…I havent told anybody yet). I think this will be a good move becuase I am keeping it fun for myself and interesting for my customer. I have been making them for a year and half and it feels like the right time. Its good to grow even if it is scary and requires taking a chance. I will let you know how it goes. Funnily, I am quite excited about it. It opens up space and time for new designs.
Follow your heart! (not your sales!) you need to do what your heart tells you…to keep you interested and exploring…otherwise you’ll burn out and get bored and we can’t have that.
I love the vibrancy of your work …..it doesn’t matter what colors your using – bright loud color or pastels or soft greys…..It is all so alive. That’s what always hits me with your work, – it’s alive, dynamic and vital! Never anything less than vivacious! I love it.
Marian, the reason I have enjoyed what you do so much is because it always seems so spontaneous and free, not inhibited. Thanks for this post and many others that have helped me in my own challenge to be true to myself in what I create (not for sales or approval, but a means of expressing my self, my soul). I’m at a crossroads of sorts as to whether to stop doing what sells for what I really want to spend my time doing. Your willingness to share something of yourself is helping me to get my own thoughts pounded out. Thank You!
I like your ‘battle horse’ idea… maybe this is a good way of looking at the things we sell well?? These need time to be advertised and pushed (although gently).
It’s much more difficult as you say to find out what our purple cow could be?
I think your purple cow might be your knowledge and inspiration? Your work shines with knowledge and you are always so eager to learn more… that inspries me and I think ultmately helps you to sell… people are drawn to this.
Sx