Posts from — June 2008

What is an Etsy Treasury, you ask? Etsy is the venue where I sell some of my jewelry, and Etsy has a number of ways to showcase items that Etsy sellers create. One of these ways is the treasury, which is a group of pictures of items selected by an Etsy seller with links to the pages where the items are sold. The seller who creates the treasury can’t feature one of his or her own items, and from what I hear it can be difficult to get a treasury because there are only so many available, and there is a waiting list to be a treasury curator. And since there are hundreds of thousands of items on Etsy, being chosen for a treasury is pretty exciting! I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed by this new creative venture of mine, wondering if I’m misguided in pursuing it when there are so many other jewelry artisans out there, so being chosen was really validating for me.

Angela, of Angela’s Heartwork at Etsy (she’s a photographer) chose my Celtic Cross pendant to be in her treasury. But I didn’t know how to capture a picture of the screen showing my item among the others chosen, and now the treasury has expired! Anyway, here’s a pic of the Celtic Cross Angela chose:

And yesterday morning I received an email from another Etsy Seller, Shellamie, who had stayed up all night to pounce on an Etsy treasury that included one of my pieces. I was extremely flattered, especially since she does such beautiful work herself. Since I missed my chance to capture the screen image of the first treasury, I decided to learn how to catch this one. I didn’t do a great job, since I missed some of the items, but not horrible for a first attempt.

FYI, to do a screen capture, press F11 so you get a full screen to capture, then press the “Print Screen” button in the upper right corner of your keyboard, just above and to the right of the backspace key (on a PC keyboard). That puts the item on a clipboard. Then, open up an image editing program (I chose Painter), choose Edit>Paste, and the screen capture will appear. You can then crop the image. In my case, I didn’t manage to capture the whole screen somehow. Also, I couldn’t choose Edit>Paste in Photoshop. If it’s possible to use Photoshop for this, I haven’t learned how. So here’s my image in my first screen capture shot. I’m the peridot ring in the middle on the bottom row.

The treasury expires July 2, 2008, but until then, here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=14517

Today I’m talking to Annabelle, a woman I met online through our mutual association with the ETSY CAST street team. CAST stands for Christian Artists Street Team, and Annabelle makes beautiful and colorful coiled rag baskets, which she sells at her online store affiliated with ETSY.

When I found out she also deals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I thought she’d be the perfect person to talk to about the importance of having a creative outlet when dealing with a chronic illness like CFS.

Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview, Annabelle. I think the first question that comes to mind is what your life was like before you were diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Can you talk about that and explain a little bit about CFS and the symptoms and possible causes?

Oh boy.  I’ll try not to get too emotional!  I loved my life before CFS and really do miss it. I have to admit, talking about CFS is something I do not enjoy. I don’t want to be defined by an illness.

Before 2005 I was an energetic, physically active woman. I worked hard and long hours. With 2 children already, we had a baby when I turned 40 and I worked full-time and returned to school part time. I was always taking on projects at our church and our children’s functions.

I took care of everyone except me.

My life now is so different. My family and I have changed our lives drastically. Not only am I unable to work a job that I love, I no longer volunteer or go to school. Any activity will put me in bed for days with exhausting fatigue. And, many days I can’t even get out of bed. I have drastically reduced my activity as a means of coping with this illness.

That is what Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is all about. And that is what over 800,000 Americans suffer with each day.

Do you have some days that are better or worse than others? Do you mind sharing what each type of day is like?

When the kids are in school, Mondays are always the worst day for me. It’s usually a day spent in bed.  As silly as it might seem, just having people around can exhaust me.

I’m still trying to figure out the CFS thing.  What I can do and what I can’t do is a gamble right now.  At this point, if I’m overdoing it, I have signs and I know to stop and rest.

 I’m sure having CFS can get you down mentally and emotionally. Does your creative hobby help you stay upbeat and motivated, and if so, how?

I started doing crafts after I went on disability with CFS.  Being a Type 1 personality, it was so crushing to be inactive.  Making my baskets is the one thing I can do sitting, and doesn’t require much brainpower.  But, in the end, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

How important do you think it is for others who have CFS to enjoy a creative pursuit, and what advice would you give people who deal with this kind of illness?

It is critically important for mental health, especially, to find something, anything that one can do if they have CFS.  In my experience, without a craft I’m sure that my emotional well being would be poor.

You see, in my case, having CFS was like going though a grieving process.  I’m not sure that I am totally over it yet, but having to give up a life that was so filled with people and accomplishments is very difficult.  You do grieve over what you once had. 

People with CFS are typically high achievers.  It’s so important that they find that “thing” that they enjoy. 

I’m not sure about advice … I still think I’m figuring my way though understanding CFS myself.  The one thing that has really helped, is … make sure you have a good support system behind you.  You’re going to need it.  There will be days that cleaning the house or doing a load of laundry is too much.  My husband and kids are wonderful and have picked up many of the chores I once did.  My parents and siblings are awesome.

If you don’t have a good support system, find one!  Churches, on-line CFS groups, or a supportive friend can make a huge difference! 

Thanks so much, Annabelle! Your baskets are beautiful, and I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about your experience with CFS.

Here’s a link to Annabelle’s ETSY store, where you can find more of her baskets and other items: http://www.handmadebyannabelle.etsy.com

Read her blog: http://handmadebyannabelle.blogspot.com/

Also at her blog, you can find a checklist to see if you may have CFIDS.  http://handmadebyannabelle.blogspot.com/