Reader Liz asked a question that resonated with me.
“Your cards are so pretty. I've been resisting by the BetterPress system and this isn't helping. :D Would you recommend this system to someone who suffers from FOMO?”
What a great question! FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a real thing and a real struggle. In a hobby where we mostly collect supplies, where many of us have so much we can’t even keep track or have to develop elaborate organizational systems to manage and store our inventory, SHOULD we keep buying new products so we won’t miss out?
My feelings on this are rather mixed, to say the least.
On the one hand, I adore my BetterPress and don’t regret buying it. I’ve made some lovely cards with press plates, and the product works GREAT…it’s easy to use and companies are coming out with a plethora of plates for it.
On the other hand, many of the plates are expensive and HIGHLY determined, meaning there are limited ways of working with them. For instance, the background plates are gorgeous, but what can you do with them? Consider Exhibit A:
This stunning plate from Hero Arts will always turn out the same design. You can change the sentiment, the embellishments, the color of ink, and how much you crop it, but the design doesn’t change. The design invites you to walk through the snowy trees with either stars above or snowflakes falling. Yes, you could crop out just branches or do the whole thing super-subtle as a background, but the design is still highly determined.
If you’re a lover of all things layered and embellished to an inch thick, this limitation probably doesn’t bother you, but if you love simplicity, you’re sorta limited in what you can do.
And depending on the vendor, costs for plates are, like everything else, pushing upward at an alarming rate, especially if they come with dies.
There are plenty of products I’ve eschewed in favor of buying new inks, stamps, and paper. It’s all a trade-off. Some days, I sit in my craft space and feel overwhelmed by the many choices I have. Other days, I make a bunch of cards in a state of flow which is almost ridiculously calming and joyful.
When in a state of flow, I’m so grateful for all my varied supplies because I pretty much have everything I need, and I can pick and choose easily. When I’m overwhelmed, I wreck a few sheets of paper, walk away, and wonder if I should sell it all and focus on reading all the books on my to-be-read shelves. Yes, shelves, plural. It’s embarrassing.
So Liz, I just don’t know if FOMO is enough to spend gobs of money on a product…and all the things necessary for using that product. I DO know that weighing the budget, style, and versatility of products is critical. Bottom line…can you realistically afford a product and its accessories AND will you likely use it enough to justify the costs? Let go of fear and make a decision based on logic and reason.
Or just go buy the stuff because you want it. That’s what I did, and no regrets.
Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love this Christmas,
Susan
