Tuesday, December 13, 2011

one last rant for the year

I think I just passed the Christmas hump.  Yesterday, Nikki and I shipped out 30 boxes of work to customers, literally all over the world. I think that was the biggest shipment of stuff I've ever done in one day.  It was very satisfying, and I was home by 5:30.  I immediately headed for the fridge, and drank down a beer, realizing as I was gulping that I never got around to eating lunch.  I'm the type of girl who doesn't mind beer on an empty stomach, so I kept drinking.

Then, I sat down at my computer, and I see I've got my "weekly Yelp updates" in the inbox.  A long time ago, someone yelped me after visiting my studio, and yes, yelped is a word.  It's an adverb.  It was a very nice review, but it encouraged a few other yelpers to yelp me too.  Again, always nice reviews, but there is something about getting yelped that makes me slightly uncomfortable.  Generally, I don't know who these people are, and it makes me feel weird that I'm having what I think is an innocuous interaction with someone, while they are mentally evaluating me so they can go home and review me.  Yeah, I know they are reviewing my work, but make no mistake, my work is me, so I end up feeling strangely exposed and defenseless.

So, Yelp emails me once a week with updates and stuff, and I always delete it because I don't care about Yelp.  But last night, for reasons I wish I could take back, I click on it, and I realize my 5-star rating is now 4 1/2stars.  How did that happen?  Notice, I just said I don't care about Yelp, but now I'm all bothered about my star rating.  There are not many places in the world where I am publicly rated with 5 stars, and frankly, if I have 5 stars somewhere, I want to keep it that way.  So, half drunk and now curious-- bad combo, we all know this-- I go and check out my yelp reviews, and sure enough, some... person gave me a 3-star rating:

"Adorable stuff. Unique and really nice muted colors.  But really.  $70 for a single cupcake stand?  I could buy a year's worth of cupcakes for that price."
                           
Oh, snark!  I am immediately engulfed in a mix of emotions, none of which resemble the happiness and contented feeling of accomplishment I was just basking in.  Apparently, it's okay to spend $70 on a year's worth of cupcakes, but not on a piece of handmade pottery which will last for many years.   I wish someone had sent me that memo when I decided to dedicate my career to making pottery.

Adding to my indignation is the fact my star rating was knocked down by someone who calls my work "stuff."  And doesn't know the difference between a cake stand and a cupcake stand, a hanging offense in my teeny-tiny bubble of a world.  Because I assure you, my cupcake stands are not $70.  My cake stands start at $70.  And if my cupcake stands were $70, they would be totally more rocking and  amazing than they already are, and worth every fucking penny.

Speaking of worth every fucking penny, I will be shilling my "stuff" at the Holiday Renegade this weekend.  I have no idea where my booth is because I've been to busy to open that email, but I will be there.  And if you come up to me and say, "You're worth every fucking penny" I will give you a 10% discount on cupcake stands.  And if you are too shy to say "fuck" you can say "damn" or "freaking" or even "pretty."


16 comments:

  1. Your post made me wonder what is a year's supply of cupcakes. Do you think it counts just the cupcakes you eat or the ones you buy for parties? Does it count cupcakes that are given out at events? You don't pay for those but somebody does, maybe that gets added to your yearly total. Also, are we talking grocery store cupcakes, frosted with your kid cupcakes from a box mix or high end cupcake-only bakery cupcakes. Because those get pretty expensive themselves.

    I teach beginning pottery classes and I always like to have the art/craft/utility conversation with them. Few of them have though about why it is expected to drink out of plastic and paper, why so few of them own hand-made functional objects and why it is "normal" to register for a "china pattern" or dishes at Target but pretty rare to have hand-crafted dishes.

    Your work is beautiful. And valuable. Keep it up.

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  2. Oh Whitney you make me smile. You are totally worth every fucking penny girl!! This will only make your sales skyrocket.

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  3. Great "rant"! You are worth every fucking penny. Love your work.

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  4. No discount necessary -yes your work is worth every penny. But "cupcakes for a year?!" Give me a freakin' break -maybe for a month! Those sites give way too much power to pseudo-wanna-be reviewers!

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  5. Oh yay..there hasn't been a rant for a while, i was thinking you were getting all weird and nice !!
    MY BEAUTIFUL BLUE CREAMER WITH ITS LITTLE YELLOW BIRD IS WORTH EVERY FUCKING PENNY...lol...have a great Christmas Whitney :)

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  6. I love that I'm getting everyone to say "fuck!"

    Regarding the year's supply of cupcakes question, which I gave some deep though to: it all comes down to how many cupcakes you can, or want to eat. I like a homemade cupcake, but I never think about eating a cupcake unless someone makes some, and I'm nearby. So, for me a year's supply would be one or two, maybe three at the most.

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  7. One can't help but wonder if your yelper even understood your work is handmade? The review is so weirdly off-base, totally focused on the price, which seems like a strange way to use yelp, knocking down an artist because the prices are too high for her! On the plus side, your other yelpers seem to get it, leaving you lots of love. I LOVE my lotus bowls, worth every fucking penny!

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  8. Dont look at your yelp anymore, that is so 2010.

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  9. So my amazing friend makes and sells gourmet cupcakes for $2.50 each. Thus, $70 gets you 28 cupcakes. Is that a year's worth? Because I fucking love cupcakes.
    Also, your work is worth every fucking penny.

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  10. I loved you before, and now you've graduated to my personal hero. that was awesome.

    the yelper is soooooo not worth having a single piece of your art--not cupcake stand, nor pitcher, nor vase...

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  11. Wow thats so many pieces going out! just think about all those happy people who are going to be receiving your items as gifts this holiday rather than the one negative person out there...

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  12. You are a sculptor? You should be a writer! Thanks for the laugh today and sharing your awesome perspective! :)

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  13. Anonymous12:11 PM

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  14. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Hi Whitney, we never met, and I found your link on Ceramics arts community. And I like your fucking work, LOL. I wish I was doing half as good. But I try.

    AS for the person that wants 70 dollars of cupcakes: The person that buys whitney's cupcake holder has a one of a kind, not made in a overseas sweatshop, art piece. All you will have to show for your 70 dollars of cupcakes, is a backedup toilet.

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  15. I too am someone who plays in the mud, I dont think I categorize myself as a potter, I have been categorized as other things though. I tripped over your blog today and I cant stop reading, I LOVE IT!!! It is so me (in a closet). Keep ranting and I know its more than a year after the fact but fuck the yelper and the Walmart she shops in! LMAO.

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