It seems a little strange to write this blog post now as the year is already one sixth gone. But that means there are five sixths of it left. I am looking to the Lord to lead me and enable me as the year progresses.
One of my goals this year is to begin earning an income. This would help provide for our needs; and it would also allow me to be able to give back to Mom and Dad and help them in their work.
The email newsletter “Creative Income” from FaveCrafts has been very helpful in giving me some ideas as to how to go about this. There are a variety of things that can be done to earn money through crafting. Here are some I'd like to try.
Blogging
Blogging is a great idea, but it has to be kept up regularly, and there are certain ways to set up a blog and write posts that attract people to the blog. It is another of my goals to learn some of these things and put them into practice. I also want to learn to comment on other blogs and enter contests to help draw attention to the blog.
Giving Away Items
I’ve actually already begun to do this. The idea is that people will enjoy the items and show them to others or share them with others. Then maybe someone will be interested in buying something.
Giving to Charity
This is something that a friend of mine does. She makes hats and baby blankets and gives them away. This would be really fun! And a good way to help others.
Selling Online
In addition to an online store right on our blog, there are several options for selling online. These include shops on sites such as Etsy, Artfire, and Yardsellr, among others. It is a third goal of mine to create an account at one of these places and start selling online. I really like the way Artfire is set up, but there is a small fee - $12.95 per month. Etsy charges a small fee per item listed. Yardsellr does not charge any fees to the seller. A small fee is added to the item when a customer buys it.
Social Networking
A fourth goal is to make a Facebook page specifically for the products I make. This is a challenge as I have no idea how to do it. I am praying the Lord will give me wisdom and clarity of thought in making this page.
In day to day life I face many challenges that make it difficult to reach these goals. One of these challenges is my health. Most of the month of January was spent with severe migraines. This is not unusual. In fact, this is the fourth year in a row that I have had migraines almost the entire month of January. I was free of them for about a week in January of this year. Then part of January and much of February this year were spent battling a flare up of my neurological symptoms and muscle problems. Along with the pain, there were muscle spasms, weakness, fatigue, and brain fog (which I call “cog fog” ☺ ). My prayer is that God would either relieve me of these conditions or that He would help me to be able to work through them and be consistent with whichever way He provides for me to earn income.
Thank you for reading, and please pray with me about these things. Thank You.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)