Monthly Archives: October 2026

For Love or Money?

Posted on by
Reply

Maybe somewhere in-between? On a spectrum, perhaps?

I know nothing about Etsy. Honest, I swear. I am no expert on Etsy. High Spirits Divine has been open for just a smidge over 3 years, technically, although I really didn’t get working on it in earnest for about 6 months after I opened it. I am no “six figure” Etsy seller, not by a long shot.

I am, however, a self-taught expert on Etsy “experts.” I have spent hours and hours watching YouTube Etsy how-to content, for better and more often, for worse. There are some truly atrocious “coaches” out there, many of whom make me wonder if teaching on YouTube is a more lucrative business than Etsy itself.

Which it was, or at least in recent history it has been. In 2020 when everyone was stuck at home, there was a massive increase in the number of people shopping online, including Etsy. First, because there was no choice. You couldn’t shop out in the real world for a bit, and even when you could, many of us (myself included) were too paranoid to be in a crowded (more than two people I don’t know is crowded, lol) store. Second, the world was FAREEEEAAAAAKKKINNNNG out. Being stuck in the house and isolated was an ideal dream to me, but a lot of people didn’t take the isolation well at all. They needed a fix; a little something to make their lives better, even just momentarily. That rush, the dopamine hit, was what they needed, just to get through the day sometimes.

The Etsy shops that were already open were raking it in. Both the ones that pivoted to making cloth masks as well as the ones that didn’t. The “Etsy Gurus” that came out like a rash in 2020/2021 are the ones that saw that writing on the wall first: Teach people how the instant gratification of a convenient POD shop works and tell them they can be MILLIONAIRES. BOOM! Next thing you know, they’re selling outrageously overpriced lessons and “coaching,” and making their own millions hand-over-fist.

That’s not to say that all Etsy Coaches are like that. They are definitely not, any more than all Etsy sellers are like that. But from the outside, it can be damn difficult to tell one from the either in either category. Which is why I ask, “for love or money,” because it’s really hard for the average shopper to know the difference, and some of them don’t even care, 🫤much in the same way that some shoppers can’t tell really bad AI slop or Chinese dropshippers or again, don’t care. For that matter, there are sellers who don’t care either. Which sucks.

The sellers who create for love have a hobby, an art, a craft, that they’re really good at. They’ve given them as gifts, sold things at craft shows, and they’re ready for that next step. They love their craft, whatever that is…yarn work, painting, ceramics, jewelry, all of it, any of it. They come to the table with a product. They love making it, they’re good at it, and that’s what they want to show the public.

The sellers for money don’t care what they sell. They don’t care what it means or if it means anything at all. They want the easiest product available. You will find them the most in AI-accepting groups because they are inclined to use nothing but. The more automated their business, the better. They’ll use it to decide a niche that will sell, design a product that will sell, create the products that will sell, the pictures to sell the product that it’s made to sell, the entire listing for the product it made, and the advertising to get the business to the site, with as little actual effort on their own part as possible. They’ll often be found making over-done t-shirts with something “Mama” on it, with the latest cutesy trends…racoons, stripes, capybaras…whatever. They don’t care as long as it sells and they get a Porche or whatever.

I’m in the middle. I am definitely doing this for love, even though my products involve the use of AI as well as POD. I am a definite oddity out there, let me tell you. Which is why I noticed this so early on in my Etsy journey. It began to really get to me when I started looking for some sort of new Etsy community. Most of the communities that are accepting (or even promoting) AI and POD are for money, and most of the ones for handmade vendors who are doing Etsy for love are excessively anti-AI, as well as moderately anti-POD. I am also extremely control-oriented; I would never let any computer AI make decisions for me. They are tools. I make the decisions, not them, but I’ll use them for the menial work. Which is why I’m the odd woman out

When I realized that YouTube was only going to get me so far, I decided to select a coach. I had it down to a top five, one was definitely more for hand-made creations although the coaches themselves did POD, so they did have an understanding of and acceptance of that type of product creation. The others had clear-cut “plans” how to make six-figures a year…blah, blah, blah. Now, let me say that not all of them are scammers. There are many money-centered coaches who seem to me, at least, to have a serious interest in helping people to establish businesses on Etsy that theoretically will make money. The problem to me, is more about what it is they want you to do to get it. Don’t worry, I’ll get there. 😉

For my part, the decision at the time was exceptionally easy. I went with the coaches who had given me the MOST information for free on YouTube. Not the same nonsense over-and-over, and not straight out of the Etsy Sellers’ Handbook…although nothing that contradicted it, either. There was another important factor; they had already coached several different witchy sellers, and were in subcultures who are very comfortable with that as well as many I’m comfortable with myself. I knew they’d have some sort of idea of my customer base or my “niche” as they like to call it. Considering my desire to be all one person complete, this was a Gods-Send! In addition, they were the most sincere, the most empathetic, and at least performatively, the most considerate and friendly. These were my coaches. I signed up. I’ve never regretted that.

When I started having trouble with acceptance I wasn’t mad at them or anyone, really. Everyone has the right to their opinion, and it’s the Coaches’ space, not mine. They could incubate whatever kind of community they liked. I’d already been dealing with the occasional snarky comment about POD after all. This was different, though. I was more than just a little uncomfortable. People who hate AI also hate the people who use it, and honestly are as rabid as Evangelical Christians trying to convert any non-believer, or MAGAts coming into a progressive thread just to bully. That is why I did a quick exit, hoping I could go back after it all blew over eventually.

I’ve apparently made some progress in therapy as at their last live I couldn’t hold a damn thing in, and I spoke up. I’m all good with my coaches now, not sure about the community, but at least I’m speaking up and I’m not lost atm. Its progress.

However, in between the occurrences, I started re-examining what coaches are out there in YouTube University, and I noticed the differences. I did find a few very earnest, sincere, and honest POD/AI Coaches. One in particular I’m still thinking about simply because I have no practical graphic arts education, and would like a professional eye to look at my designs. My coach doesn’t touch that; they help you sell what you’ve already designed, but don’t tell you what to do. Which is a good way to spot the difference between love and money; for the money coaches will gladly and without question tell you what to sell. Blow by blow, even. Its all part of their plan. So if that’s what you’re looking for, they’re perfect. 

Thing is, for me, I’m not normal. I’m doing this out of my own love for the Spirits, and doing this all at their direction. Not the products so much as the images, or at least that’s what most are particular about at the moment. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! AI is the way I can do that. Would I like to be a millionaire? Sure, who wouldn’t? Billionaire? Excessive, but I think about my friends and family, and the world at large and what I could do with that money…so yeah, I’d take it for sure. But I don’t expect it. I’d like to make a decent living off of it, enough to at least give us some comfort as we get older. Health care being what it is, and the government being what it is, we’re going to need money to take care of ourselves unless something changes drastically. Especially as my we both have physical restrictions and my husband is only working part time at the moment. Yeah, we kind of need some money.

Right now, I’m breaking even, and that’s a perfectly fine start for me in what’s essentially my second year in business. The rest will come with time. I’m not in that much of a hurry. Yet.

Well, I’m personally useless as an Etsy coach, and that’s fine with me. I don’t think I’d want the headache! However, I’m seriously thinking of reviewing the Etsy Coaches. That’s something I haven’t seen out there, and something I think the community at large could really use. I might have to do it without using their real names, some of them are…well, one in particular is a bit lawsuit-happy. Most of them are in the US, and everyone knows how we loooooooooooooove litigation~! 🙄

Its about time, I think, we talk about this.

No Country for Old Women

Posted on by
Reply

I have always been, and seems I will always be the odd woman out. The extremely square peg. The redheaded stepchild. Finally, I can at least say I’m starting to get used to it.

I have always wanted to find the place where I could be my complete and whole self in public.

There’s no such place. Utopia, right? Some of us get that joke. Utopia is a word that originally meant “nowhere,” because it doesn’t exist, and never will.

I can be me here. I can’t call it a community, but I can absolutely say this is me. Complete and whole. Don’t like it? That’s fine. I don’t like everyone on earth either. Just don’t expect me to care, okay? Move along. It’s what I do, what polite adults do. It’s all I ask.

It took a long time, but I found the absolutely perfect Etsy coach for me, who came with a beautiful community of incredibly creative people from Etsy. Not a group of let’s make another “Mama Shirt” creators. She understood paganism, at least to an extent, and I felt appreciated and that I could fit in there but…

I use Generative AI. They hate Generative AI. So much for that community. Odd woman out. Again.

Obviously, I’m the problem. I’m the reason the evil data centers are needed and being thrust upon the public where they’re not wanted or needed. Also, I’m STEALING FROM ARTISTS. Right.

Fine. Let’s just go there.

First, I’m not the ONE creating a need for data centers. You could take ALL the generative art designers in the US, and together we wouldn’t be the cause. Generative AI has been used in art for at least 4 years now, and LLMs for longer. We were fine with the data storage we had. That’s not the problem.

You’re looking for someone human who you can attack and will react to you for you to vent on. A convenient scapegoat. The truth is a lot more complicated but, hey, maybe those FLOCK CAMERAS might have to do with it? Maybe all the data that the Federal Government is HOARDING about every American Citizen would have something to do with it? And come to it, I’m sure that all those Fortune 500 companies tracking our every move online (Meta, anyone?) have something to do with it?

But sure, blame me.

For this first count, let me now tell you what I’m incredibly proud of. I now have Local AI. LOCAL. As in, it’s completely housed on my own computer. NO DATA CENTER USE AT ALL. So, to be as mature and adult as I can be about this, shut up. That complaint is completely invalid.

Now, as far as stealing from artists, I’m about to offend every artist on the internet. I know I am. But this is the absolute truth. There is not a single artist who has had their art stolen who has any art I would ever use in my products. There’s a world of reasons for that. Some of it is just rank amateur in my eyes. Some of it is a style choice, I don’t want to work with anything “cutesy,” or “Chibi,” or “Manga” or “Comic Book” looking. Not one spirit has expressed any interest in being depicted in those ways. Sorry, not sorry. They are, quite literally, my bosses.

Even in a situation where I might truly appreciate an artist’s style, what are the odds I will see the Spirit the same way? How many artists do you know who like to be instructed in every facet of a piece of art? Hair color, ethnicity, pose, facial expression, clothing choice, background…I am, again because of my bosses, VERY particular. Finding a piece of art online that I can just use as is? It’s really, really fucking hard. I’ve tried.

Here’s Anput. She was generated off of Anubis believe it or not. On the back of the journal, you can see the other items I generated. Even her buddy there on the cover was generated by me. All individually, then pieced together as a collage.

I’ve found a few, and I’ve used them. But when I started to stretch into the lesser-known entities, like Qebhet, for example, it wasn’t even a question of finding something I agreed with. I couldn’t find anything. Hell, I couldn’t even find a complete set of Canopic Jars and I felt those were EXTREMELY important for Anput’s images. It had to be right. That took me quite literally about 18 iterations to get that piece of art which is just one component in the overall piece.

Three different pieces made up this card back. One of them I bought, 2 I generated.

ALSO, if you were an artist, and you could put your art on a t-shirt yourself, why would you sell your art cheaper to someone else for them to do it? Its far more supportive of human artists to want them to make everything they can off of their art. I would gladly help anyone who wanted to go POD with their art, honestly. I want them to get out there and make a living off of it, and I find too many artists don’t have the business sense to do it.

I’m going long again, but just figure that I don’t write often, I write long 🤣

Here’s what my moral law is as far as art goes. I stick to the dead. I do not work with any art style that is recent. I personally like the 75 year standard used for copyrights and so on. The average age. Older types of art as well as art styles that were used for marketing or in such large quantities by so many people giving lots and lots of possible combinations, but most of the art I work with is, well Ancient Egyptian. Ancient Greek. Merovingian. Medieval Christian. Renaissance. The newest I think i have ever touched would be the Art Deco/Art Nouveau/Art Informel, etc., the heyday of which is about 100 years. I also NEVER USE AN ARTIST’S NAME. Never. I stick with styles, schools, movements, ages. That’s it.

Let’s face it, for the Entities I’m working with, the ancient forms of art work better anyway. Anubis looked better in Egypt, although I have to say I ran some patterns with Hekate in Egypt, and they were fire. We’ll see…Merovingian has given me some interesting results as well.

There’s a lot of fun to be had by combining styles and adding in different art terms. Throwing the term “dark” onto anything, or “gothic,” can change an entire look. Gives me that creativity that everyone assumes is missing from AI. Come on, Goth Nouveau? SO BANGING! Esoteric and Occult change the entire vibe of a piece. Goth Esoteric Les Fauves Art…would make a human artist’s head spin, but the AI keeps up with me and my vision.

I don’t just generate a piece and throw it on a product, either. When I started this adventure, I was using the Etsy guidelines; if it wasn’t your own art, it had to have at least two to three other pieces in it to make it your own. I started collaging. And I still do. That canopic jar? That was only one piece of about five I created or found for that Anput image. With the patterns I generate, I can put them on all sorts of different products and reuse the heck outta them so that the generation is anything but wasted. Not just that, either. I pull those apart and use as clip art in other pieces.

My current favorite Dionysus image, pilfered from my own pattern.

I am very frugal in all ways! 😊

The truth is, I’m a writer not a physical artist. Words are what I’m stronger with, and this is a format that is made for me. The better you can describe, the better the art. I can actually bring what I see to life and share it with you. I’m sorry, but to me that is art, although there are far too many people out there who have way too much hate for me for it. That’s my life.

I do not use the “art” word in public much. Too many people are biased against me to begin with. I will say designer, the ultimate compromise, much like I would say I was a “crafter” in my jewelry-making days. People hated me for that, too. I didn’t do anything but string beads, I wasn’t an artist…yeah, I’ve heard all this bullshit before.

If I wasn’t slowly losing my hands, I’d probably still be doing the jewelry. I had plans…I was going to do a LOT of crafting for my shop. If I can get a dx and the proper treatment, maybe I can still get some of it done. Currently, I have a melted knuckle, and other digits that feel like they’re going in the same direction. Its either RA or Sjogren’s, and I have way more markers for Sjogren’s, so that’s a little scary. It takes on average about 6 years for an actual diagnosis with that one; I don’t have that kind of time. I don’t mind the osteoarthritis, in my family that’s predictable. I’ve known I had the swan’s neck deformation when I was in my thirties.

This is different.

But I can still create and whether you like it or not, that’s what I’m doing.

At the end, I realize that I will lose potential business because of my decisions. I am alright with that. My Gods and Spirits are happy with me, and I know I will be cared for by them. At the end of the day, it’s Their approval that matters. Yours would be a bonus.