Seek alternatives or mastery?

[LeoX8]

I've been selling T-shirts online for a couple of years and with its ups and downs I've earned some money and created a passive income source. But now I feel it stagnated a bit and I'm a little bit bored of this business model. I don't know if I should seek alternatives or to go all in another time in this business and try to make it work even better. 

I got in mostly for money and I'm feeling a little disconnected from my values but I don't want to fall in the "search for your passion trap". I know that happiness at work is sparked by mastery and huge amounts of skill but I just don't see the value in what I'm doing. 

I had a phase in which I kinda forced a purpose on this business: I wanted to make people laugh and smile with my funny clothing but I have received some nasty comments and that demotivated me. 

What should I focus on? Passion? Values? Purpose? Money?

 

Any thought or advice is highly welcomed!!

[Yarco]

Really only you'll be able to answer this for yourself, and I feel like we are missing a lot of context. For example, do you print the shirts yourself or just upload designs and have another service print+ship them for you?

Personally I wouldn't worry about nasty comments unless it's something true, like that the quality of your shirts needs work. If you put yourself out there you'll probably receive nasty comments. Whether it's selling shirts online, making a Youtube channel, or whatever else.

You don't have to give up the t-shirt business to start looking for alternatives. No need to cut it off suddenly, especially before you've identified something you're more passionate about.

If you find a new purpose, see if you can work t-shirts in as the medium. Some people's medium is watercolor painting, others write books to express themselves. You make shirts. There are a bunch of different life purposes that you can fulfill through t-shirts.

If you decide to go all-in on t-shirts, I would try to make the absolute best shirt you can. Order samples from 50 possible suppliers and wear them all for a couple of days, and find the best shirt out there. Of course you need great designs, but the shirt quality itself should be enough to get people raving about it to their friends. Give people the softest and most comfortable short they've ever worn, not just some artwork slapped on a Gildan. Don't let the shirt itself be an afterthought, and don't let your designs be just a commodity.

I don't know if you're interested in just putting graphics on shirts or more of a fashion side. I came across this recently and if I was into fashion this would definitely inspire me to make it my life purpose to create this kind of stuff: https://www.demobaza.com/collections/cardigans-demoman Make the kind of clothes that people literally can't find anywhere else.

[Michael569]

If you don't see the value in what you are doing then that's the sign that you need to start looking around.

Agree with you on that the passion hypothesis is kinda wrong amd there is no "one thing" for everyone but staying in same occupation especially if you're getting hints that you'd rather be doing something else is gonna make you gradually more and more miserable.

There is no need to leave and liquidate the business immediately but keep your mind open for new opportunities along the way. Expose yourself to new experiences,new books on new topics,speak to people, attend new events and something may fall through the cracks eventually

[LeoX8]

@Yarco

On 26/5/2022 at 9:56 PM, Yarco said:

Really only you'll be able to answer this for yourself, and I feel like we are missing a lot of context. For example, do you print the shirts yourself or just upload designs and have another service print+ship them for you?

I upload designs and have other services that print and ship the products for me. To add more context, I do not only sell t-shirts but also hoodies, tank tops, mugs, stickers, ecc... . I have the most success withstickers. I do not create "professional" designs or cutting edge fashion, I just really like creating something that makes me laugh (and hopefully others to). I focus on funny jokes or memes and I'm pretty good with that.

On 26/5/2022 at 9:56 PM, Yarco said:

Personally I wouldn't worry about nasty comments unless it's something true, like that the quality of your shirts needs work. If you put yourself out there you'll probably receive nasty comments. Whether it's selling shirts online, making a Youtube channel, or whatever else.

You don't have to give up the t-shirt business to start looking for alternatives. No need to cut it off suddenly, especially before you've identified something you're more passionate about.

The nasty comments were about a shop that I opened on shopify. I thought I could create designs that everyone could find funny but I were the only one to appreciate that work. When I started an ad campaing on instagram I received only nasty comments and lost money in the process.

I still own my shops (on redbubble and teepublic) and don't need to cut them off, they are on autopilot basically so the question is: should I put more effort to grow this business even further or should I seek alternatives?

 

 

I want to make people laugh and have fun but I'm questioning if t-shirt selling is the right medium to do so. I'm searching alternatives but the main the thing that blocks me the most is money. I resist getting into something that doesn't secure me some income. 

 

@Michael569

6 hours ago, Michael569 said:

If you don't see the value in what you are doing then that's the sign that you need to start looking around.

Agree with you on that the passion hypothesis is kinda wrong amd there is no "one thing" for everyone but staying in same occupation especially if you're getting hints that you'd rather be doing something else is gonna make you gradually more and more miserable.

There is no need to leave and liquidate the business immediately but keep your mind open for new opportunities along the way. Expose yourself to new experiences,new books on new topics,speak to people, attend new events and something may fall through the cracks eventually

I believe that passion is sparked by mastery and huge amounts of skill, but that leaves me with a question: what art I should master?

I'm a bit confused about the answer because everything I might choose could be a waste of time, energy and money. At the same time if I do not take action I also waste time. 

 

Btw thanks so much for the responses guys <3