Making a Case for Making Treasuries

on Mar 31st, 2015 | in Editorial | 14 Comments

I made a treasury on Etsy the other day. This itself isn’t surprising – I make at least 10 treasuries a month. This one was different.

I made a treasury without thinking about team requirements. I made a treasury without intending to promote it. I made a treasury just for me – and I realized how much I missed the creative spark.

I’ve been in an Etsy slump lately. Well, maybe “lately” is an understatement; it’s been the entire fall and winter. It started after a fun-filled anniversary trip to Las Vegas. Five days in the Sin City will make normal life seem downright dreary. I just couldn’t muster enthusiasm on my return.

The trip coincided with Etsy’s controversial change to the front page, switching to a personalized news feed instead of the classic front-page treasury. Some of my treasury teams shuttered the doors, others went into an identity crisis and started trying downright wacky promotion strategies.

My Etsy experience started to feel empty. I fought it as best I could; I threw myself into a holiday market, then blamed the holidays after that was over.

The new year brought a new determination to get back to writing, making, promoting and listing items. So much determination! I set out each morning with such grand expectations, only to disappoint myself by late afternoon. The daily routine felt like a plod; my heart wasn’t in it.

I used to eat, sleep and dream Etsy. Treasuries were a big part of it – a creative outlet, and a connection to the community. The fall of the front-page treasury made me glum. I bought into the naysaying of fellow sellers, declaring the treasury dead.

Treasuries aren’t dead, at least not for me. After making that free-spirited treasury, I felt invigorated! Some people saw treasuries as a means to an end, as a lottery ticket to land on the front page. For me, treasuries are inspiration. They stir my creativity, and help me focus on photography and the latest trends.

Etsy stole the spotlight from treasuries, but that doesn’t mean they’re useless. Something about these collages enraptures fans; images of treasuries get more interaction and engagement for my team than ordinary social media posts.

I found a spark, and it’s helped me out of my funk. I’m making again – not only treasuries, but articles and items for my shop. The more I make, the better I feel. It’s an upward spiral!

If you’re feeling glum about your Etsy shop, throw a treasury together from your favorite shops. Do it without pressure. Do it to make something beautiful. It might just be the pick-me-up that you need.

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14 Responses

  1. Leslie says:

    Huzzah!! Thank you for this inspiring article. I’ve always felt like curating was an art, first and foremost, to me – and will remain so. Things have been admittedly terrible since the FP change, so obviously a strategy change is needed (& ongoing) for me, but I will *always* enjoy making treasuries – regardless of the requirements, quotas, or benefits 😉

    • Brittany says:

      Leslie, I too think that treasury curation is an art form! I am glad to know that you will continue to make your beautiful treasuries, even with the change to the FP. Thanks for adding your thoughts.

  2. Susan Gainen says:

    So I’m behind the curve. I have apparently missed the Golden Age of Treasuries. I just discovered them during an ETSY webinar last week. I’m making at least one a day. They are too much fun to stop.

    It’s also forced me to look at other artists’ work with a curatorial eye, and to note that everyone isn’t on the same page as it pertains to their keywords.

    Thanks to everyone who shares their work.

    • Brittany says:

      Susan, I am so glad that you discovered treasuries! The Golden Age might have passed, but like you said – they are just too fun not to make.

  3. Jerri says:

    Treasuries have always been a creative spark for me…sometimes it is driven by promotions, but I do my best to find the spark before diving into the process….great article that shows we all go through slumps!

    • Brittany says:

      Jerri, I like the idea of finding the creative spark before curating – regardless of what is driving the creation. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

  4. Hi Brittany, I really agree, staying close to yourself is the only way to keep energy going… you also meet very interesting people this way they might be like you and being ‘together’ we can be a bit stronger.

  5. Bobette Fisk says:

    Stunning treasury! I too am burned out of trying to be creative within the confines of a team’s strict requirements. I will take your advice!
    Best,
    Bobette

  6. Sue says:

    You have inspired me to make one again. And, this time just for me.

  7. Kelly T says:

    Brittany,
    I couldn’t agree more! I still make treasuries because, in my view, they are little virtual art collages. And I miss the communities that surrounded them.

    Big hugs.

    Make art for art’s sake these days ; )

    Kelly aka 88editions

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