Letting Go

I've been making these needlework paintings for years.  I love them. They each have such special meanings to me.  The original photographs are my own.  The needlework process itself is very intimate, a lot of close work that takes hours to complete.  Mostly, this has been my hobby, something I do in the evening (or when I'm stressed) to relax. While they're made, I live with them.  I'm so proud of them.

And for some reason I've been afraid to sell them.  I'm not sure why.  I've given a couple to family members as gifts, which they love.  I hang a couple in my apartment.  Other artists have shared this same sentiment with their own work.  Perhaps because they mean so much to me I'm afraid of criticism.  Perhaps I'm afraid of letting them go.

I've decided to take the leap.  My first needlework painting, The Hermit Crab is now for sale on Etsy.  It's like sending your child to school for the first day.  And now that it's done I feel great.  Really, what's the worst that could  happen?  Someone buys it: it goes to a new home and brightens someone's day.  No one buys it:  it adds beauty and color to my home for a little while longer.