Is Etsy "peddling" false hopes for women? That's the question posed by Sara Mosle at DoubleX.com in her June 10th essay - Etsy.com Peddles a False Feminist Fantasy. I love a good controversy and this a real thought-provoker for the handmade community. So is this essay merely a smear job of Etsy or are there some valuable lessons to be learned?

As a new Etsy seller and online marketer of handmade jewelry, I'm one of millions of women around the world seeking financial security based on our hand-made efforts. I'm also a card-carrying feminist dedicated to supporting women.

Amelia McDonell-Parry of The Frisky.com also weighs in on the "female ghetto" aspect of craft-related careers in her discussion of this essay.

There are plenty  of jobs that are "feminine ghettos" where the majority of workers are women and the wages and benefits aren't equal to similar work in male dominated industries. Ever since our mothers started entering the work-force in large numbers, women have struggled for parity. Combine that with our significant domestic burdens and you’re looking at women who searching for creative economic solutions.

The ability to operate a home-based business between diaper-changes, Girl Scout meetings and bedtime stories has a tremendous appeal. You can set your own hours (finally have a few minutes after midnight - great get that new scarf posted in the store before you crash); work part-time (even though you may have a full-time "out of the home" job) to help support your family; or you always wanted to make dozens of handmade coasters (just like the ones you made for Mom in art class).

For the readers following my Starting a Handmade Business series, you know that I'm not a fan of the overly optimistic message "you too can be a craft millionaire" often found in the handmade community - including on Etsy. I believe that "pie-in-the-sky" (I'm running out of clichés here. Ha!) outlooks aren't as supportive as they appear on the surface.

I personally think that a portion of this controversy arises from the way society values creative endeavors and how we rank their worthiness. The word “crafter” isn’t nearly as socially worthy as “artist”. 

I'd love to have you read the two articles linked above (they'll open in a new browser tab/window) then return here to comment, share, rant or weep as you see fit. This blog is a great community to really discuss how we can work together to ensure that Etsy, ArtFire and the growing number of reseller-oriented sites aren't the only ones making money from our talents. Many handmade artists/crafters/designers (choose your favorite name) - but sadly not all - will be able to reach the financial goals. But as these articles warn, the road will certainly be longer and more winding than we were lead to believe.

Please forward and share this post to your friends within the handmade community. You'll find all the social networking links below to help you get the message out.

And don't forget installment #3 of my business series will continue the conversation on Are you an Entrepreneur? Have you taken some time to mull over the questions? Are you afraid to? Share your thoughts and we'll collectively hold your hand.

I've posted installment #2 of the business series aimed at people interested in starting a handmade business. You'll find Are You an Entrepreneur at http://www.roseofsharonjewelry.com/blog/2009/06/entrepreneur/.

This is an informative series written initially for jewelry makers but the information covered would apply to any handmade crafter.

I am a handmade jewelry artist and a published author of several books on entrepreneurship and  small business development sharing my personal and professional expertise with others.

Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed or email notice so you don't miss a single post. I'm confident you'll learn something new to help you succeed.

Your input is appreciated as this series will evolve based upon comments and questions asked by readers.

Sharon of Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Blogging at http://www.roseofsharonjewelry.com

P.S. Please forward this message to others who might be interested.