Happy Birthday, TAFA!
One year ago I launched a new site on Blogger, TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, hoping that some ideas I had would find a following among my peers who worked with textiles. Increasingly, I had been learning about social media and how quickly things were changing on the web. Many of my friends seemed overwhelmed and kind of lost with this new way of doing business. I've also had over 20 years of various experiences in the wholesale/retail world and knew that what I have learned could help this group of people. Some were artists while others focused on wholesale or retail efforts. Our common connection centered on a love for handmade items, especially textiles.
I thought that a website dedicated to both figuring out new markets on the web and promoting its members might meet with approval. I really owe a lot to the first people who signed on, mostly fiber artists, many of whom do not even know me personally. I spent hundreds of hours online, visiting websites, inviting new people to join and creating communities with our members on different places, especially facebook and Etsy. A core group of the members has jumped in and really helped me focus on the mission and on how I can grow this business in a meaningful way. I am ever grateful to them!
2012 promises to be a year of big changes! Watch as we continue to grow and mature into a true organization. The biggest project in the immediate future will be to fundraise for a new website with a powerful search engine and the ability to showcase the incredible talent harnessed within this group. The video above features only a few of the members, so be sure to visit TAFA and explore the tags in the sidebar. Bear with the Blogger platform until we can really do both the work and the people represented justice. We all thank you for your support!
Here's to 2011!
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“Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth.”
“Whatever you say, say it with conviction.”
(Both by the master, Mark Twain)
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