WoW Factor

How do you know if something you made has that Wow Factor? You might think it has it, and your family might think it has it, but unless some stranger actually gives you a wow compliment you don't really believe that what you made has it!

For example: I love my bag (yet to be named...you better vote) my family loves my bag, my friends want the pattern so they can make my bag; but they all have to be nice to me. They know that I am a delicate soul who needs constant reassurance and positive affirmations (it get tiring I am sure). However, a total stranger knows nothing of me or my short comings. He or she only notices whether or not what I have made is aesthetically pleasing to them or not. They don't have to spare my feelings or caress my emotional button. You know what I mean?

What do we do in order to get these strangers to take notice? I will tell you what we do; we search for the obscure compliment by using or wearing our wonderful handmade item everywhere we go. We purposefully plop our new handbag on the checkout counter and take a little extra time searching for our wallet waiting for an acknowledgment from the cashier or the people waiting in line behind us (who are only irritated that we are taking so darn long). We walk around the mall and check to see if people walking by us are taking a double take: caution though...your zipper could be down and that is the reason of the second glance, not that your shawl is stunning. We make a point to mention to the other people we are with that we not only made the item we are using/wearing but designed it ta boot(said people are tolerant of this repetitive statement because they are aware of our emotional instability when it comes to our handmade items). We may wait all day for that one compliment but when It comes...man what a feeling!

That one moment that we have been waiting for...that moment when a complete stranger, with no ulterior motive other than to pay a compliment comes up to you and says "I love your bag, where did you get that?"

You gleam with pride when you say that you made it and designed it...what a moment! Complete validation! I am worthy of being called a designer!

For me, I only had to take my bag to the pediatricians office yesterday in order to have his nurse get so flubber minded over the bag that she couldn't hardly write down my son's height and weight. She even brought in other nurse to take a look! Wow, what a compliment! But that was not all...she asked me if I would make her one half the size in red, white and blue. I said yes but wasn't sure what to ask for as far as price. When I suggested 75$ she said that was reasonable and gave me her name and number.

Now, that is what I call a Wow of a compliment!