Life is too short for unimportant stuff
| Life IS too short for things that don't matter I found out yesterday that my neighbour died earlier in the week after battling cancer. I am sure I missed her funeral and I didn't get to say goodbye. Life is too short and unfair. My DH works so much that we barely see him and his store manager rings and says he has to work on his one precious day off with his family. DH is a hard worker, but nobody will give him a break. So he is stuck in a dead end job. I count my blessings that he is employed, but hope that things can change. Digital Scrapbooking Day kept me busy all week scrambling with preparations in my handful of hours off. My time is precious and life is too short to give it away to others that don't appreciate it. I am too giving a person and let people take advantage too much. Too many people want everything for nothing. I have seen horrible nastiness and backbiting in the digi scrap community that has scarred it so badly. It makes you question so much. Yesterday I watched people scramble for every free thing they could get their hands on. That makes you question WHY do we give so much of ourselves away when people will pay a small fortune to paper scrap stuff. We undervalue ourselves as scrappers (my layout is not good because nobody commented on it) and as designers (a truly talented person saying nobody is buying my stuff, I should quit). So now to get to the point. I work a day job to enjoy the life I have. When I started digital scrapbooking I lived for free stuff because I wasn't working and we lived frugally. There is a lot more free stuff out there now, than was when I started out. So my time is precious and making digital scrapbooking kits feeds my scrapping spending needs. Therefore I have decided point blank to no longer do do freebies. At the end of the day I am a nice person, but I am done giving my few precious hours with my family away for free. I am greatful if any of the 400 or so people subscribed here are actually paying customers, but this giving away takes up too much time to be worth anything anymore. So this blog will change and if you are only here for free stuff you are better off subscribing to a freebie list blog. I expect to see a huge amount of unsubscribes, as that is what I get everytime I blog about something without a freebie. That made me reassess why I blog. If you are interested in hearing about my life, new products, layouts, techniques, sales, competitions and challenges please feel free to stay. From today that is all that will grace this blog. I am done with unimportant stuff, life is far too short and precious to give any of it away to strangers that don't appreciate the wonderful thing they have been given. To the wonderful friends out there that have supported me and appreciated my work - Thankyou! I am greatful for everything you have done. |
posted by Cherie Shields at 9:43 am
Comments on "Life is too short for unimportant stuff"
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Meredith said ... (3:14 am) :
post a commentIm sure this was a hard decision for you to make & you will probably lose a lot of people, but if it gains you even a few more minutes with your family then it was definitely worth the sacrifice. Ive been a fan since I signed up way back when to get a gorgeous heritage type kit you made & now Im waiting for it to hit your store since I wasnt able to get it. Techniques & tips are sometimes more valuable than free scraps so a fan I shall continue to be.
I take my hat off to you, this was obviously not a decision made lightly! You introduced me to Digi Scrapping and have helped and supported me in every way shape and form that you possibly could - for that I thankyou! I will continue to support you in any way shape or form I possibly can. I value the friendship we have built up more than words can ever express! I know you are a loving, giving person and I am saddened that you feel this way! I will be another whom stays subscribed as it is not about freebies, it is more personal than that! Look after yourself Cherie, look after those handsome men of yours and i am proud you are putting you first for once! xxx
WOW....I am terribly sorry that you feel this way and that it was caused by thoughtlessness from other people.
I do think however that when you are not extremely upset and think over things a little you may come to a "middle ground" that works for you and does only what freebies are supposed to do, help introduce people to your work! I agree that some people are so freebie grubbing that they refuse to ever pay for anything which is indeed taking advantage of a designer IMHO but there are also people who use freebies as a supplement to the things they purchase. Am I more inclined to buy from a designer who also gives out nice freebies periodically? Absolutely, because I feel appreciated as a customer when I recieve a blog post with a freebie from one of my favorite designers. I always go and look at the whole post, including the full kits if applicable that the freebie came from and evaluate whether the whole kit is something I want to spend my limited budget on. I often do and sometimes do not.
As far as the time away from family, I totally agree that your time with them is infinitely more important than freebies all the time!!!!
I just hate to see you take such a hard line on the issue when it may be better to just do them much more infrequently or as a gift with purchase type thing.
Just my 2cents! Way to go for telling people how you feel....I admire you for it! And no, I'll stay subscribed :-)
lnewhouse1@satx.rr.com
I for one do not think your upset at all. I think your 100% right and if the Designers (me included) all stopped giving away so much maybe they would have to really buy something. I know some people that will not buy a thing and get on as many designers CT's as they can just so they can get free kits. WTG for standing up.
I understand and appreciate your point.
For me, it is absolutely impossible to shop! As a retired, disabled widow on a fixed income, my budget simply does not allow for the purchase of scrap supplies. I am barely able to pay the rent, keep up my phone, power, the internet AND buy food without my bank account constantly being in the red. So I rely totally on designer gifts (for which I am perpetually grateful), or I would be completely unable to scrap.
Realize that your charity is good will to others, and if circumstances are right with folks, it also begets possible sales. Best regards, and do enjoy your family. After all, that is REALLY what this wonderful life is all about!
ivy L
And life is to short to let people like you take out their anger on me !!!!
How sad that you have forgotten that you cannot beat people up and then say thank you for your support
Where is the God is all this
I don't blame you at all. doing freebies, helped you get a customer base and develope your skills. but it should never feel like a requirement.
when it starts causing stress (and i'm sure it has for awhile), it's time to stop it. and if you ever decide to give a freebie of something in the future, then maybe people will be more appreciative.
thanks for all you do, but please focus on yourself and your family first.
mcmartian
hey girl, just leaving my 2 cents...
I too have been (lol and STILL am) right where ivy is and i think that it is people like her that keeps most of us giving freebies....
as a designer i feel your frustrations too...I have been blessed that I have seen a lot of my freebies pop up over forums AND I also have had several FABULOUS readers email me with their creations, but when over 1000 people accept a freebie and only one does anything with it, it seems a mute point....
i am sorry you have been made to feel let down, you ARE a very generous person (i know first hand), and unfortunately that leads to being taken advantage of (lol which i also know first hand)....
hugs!
Cherie, I think you've made a wise decision. I too am backing down from freebies. I never did a whole lot of them, but I just don't see that there have been that many rewards from it either.
There are SOOOO many freebies out there, no one will miss mine. Chin up girlie! You've got your priorities in line, that's what matters. Not people who are angry cause you're not going to give them free stuff anymore. They can get it elsewhere.
And speaking as a Embassador for God, He is pleased that you're putting your family first. That's how He intended it.
da
This is the first time I have visited your blog. I came from a list of "good freebie sites". After reading your post, even though there aren't freebies here anymore, I will still keep reading. I think that you are doing a wonderful thing and taking time for your family is the most important thing you can do in your life! Don't worry about all the meanies! In my opinion, freebies are gifts. They are a great bonus and a blessing. But they shouldn't be obligatory. It's free, for Pete's sake! That would be like going to Costco and whining that there aren't enough free samples and never going back just because they didn't have their double chocolate brownies on sample. People should be grateful for the gifts and samples that they do get. jmo...