Don't let anyone tell you you shouldn't write or create your artwork. They will kill you.

http://jennyjofayfancyphotography.com/  This is my wordpress site where I started writing a few of my new novels and I really need to make myself get back to finishing writing my novels, whether it's going to make me money or not.  Sure, I've been selling at Ebay and trying to get people to my Zazzle store and my new Etsy store where my lovely photography is and my paper dolls, but it really doesn't make me any money so far at those two sites.  Ebay is good, but so far I am a little skeptical with Zazzle.  But I keep trying.  But that's not really who I am.  I am the photographer and the paper doll artist.  But what really defines me is the process of creating the photographs, the artwork and the process of writing the novels, or knitting my stuff or sewing or making the knitting markers, jewelry or rag dolls.  It's the whole process that defines who I am and not the idea of I have to make money at it.
We are in a world where if you are an artist or a writer or a crafter, it is very hard to break into a struggling world of business and actually become successful financially.
But that's not truly why we create.  We're born to create, for the satisfaction of finishing a original work of art that only we could do.  We're in a world of wonderful talented people all over the place and we all have our own vision.
If we were born to be just like everyone else, I cannot begin to tell you how utterly boring that would be.  That's what makes us interesting to others is telling our own story in only the way we can tell it.
I'm unique and there is nobody else like me in this world.  You strip me away and tell me to stop creating, that is the day that you have killed me literally.  And I will shrivel up and shrink under the carpet that once was magic and then the dream died along with the people who try to take away your dreams.  What are we without dreams, hopes and faith that someday we will leave behind a legacy for our children, whether we made money for it or not.  That's just me, Jennifer Jo Fay being who I am in this world.  Born an artist, writer mother and everything else, and that's how I will someday die.  Having fulfilled that dream.  And maybe my ashes will be scattered into the sea.  I haven't really decided what i want them to do with me.

But I have recently had someone trying to discourage me from going back and writing my novels.  One night I was telling him, I've got to get back and finish writing my novels.  Immediately he told me, "You're not going to make any money doing that.  Don't do that."

It really peeved me.  Here I'm thinking, "Hey, I'm a writer and I stopped for a little bit to sell on Ebay and do other things, but I'm a writer and I am going to go back to write my novels and draw more of my paper dolls and artwork at some point whether it's going to make me money or not."

I like doing it.  I was born to do it and I'm not going to stop doing something I like to do for anyone.

I could tell the person, "You're not going to make any money hunting, fishing, reading sports books, or other guy hobby."

But I wouldn't do that.  Sometimes guys seem to just be all about money.  All they seem to care about is if you're making money or not.  And then he seems to think that Ebay isn't a job.  That makes me boil so bad. He one day told me he thought it was terrible I didn't have a job.  I then went on to tell him that Ebay is my job and I am making more at Ebay than I did at my part time retail job that only let me work five hours a week.

 It's highly important to me that he know that I create my art and write and do other fun things just for the priceless sake of doing them, not because I am told by him that I need to make money at what I do.  And if I don't make money at something then I am automatically told that I shouldn't be doing that anymore.

I really hate that.  It makes me red with anger.

I'm not about money.  I'm all about the priceless things.  And I'm glad that I have a job selling at Ebay.  It lets me be home with my children at the same time.  And if I was to go out to work at a job outside the home again, I probably wouldn't have as much time to spend with my boyfriend.

And same with the writing sites like Triond or Wikinut.  He discourages me from writing at those as it doesn't make me much money.  That's not the point.  I know it doesn't make me much money.  But the more valuable things I get from these sites is the feedback and the conversations with other writers who share the same goals, dreams, hobbies and desires to create words and artwork.  That is the true reason that many of us write at those sites.

Jennifer Jo Fay