The whole time I was making babies I would come here to this forum for community. Making art as a job can be pretty isolating. Back then a couple dozen of us split off into a private group for about five years but it dissolved due to the amount of money and upkeep the private forum asked of us.
I miss it a lot, some of us have stayed good friends from that group.
It wasn’t all dolly talk, making babies was more something that we all had in common.
There was very little drama, mostly sharing recipes, kid updates, we celebrated, we grieved together too.
It was a safe and friendly place.
This forum is quite large and it has become less active than back in the “Old days” but I still show up to check in, stir a pot or two, see what is happening in the dolly world, I have to admit not as much drama as we use to get even with all the political divide
I think a lot of people think this is fast becoming a dying art but I don’t agree, I think it is just changing. Some of us will love how it evolves and some of us won’t but still it will be a lovely hobby and the babies are always precious even the ones with Horns and pointy teeth.
I am not sure how long I will stay in the hobby, I guess however long it feels practical. In January I will be re-committing myself to fine art full time. I will still make babies in my spare time I think.
I am going to do yet another thinning out and de-stashing of my studio. I need to make a little more room still for big canvas again. I may list some of that stuff here and on Reborns.com
I can’t imagine reborns will ever go away, people love them too much and they help people in so many ways. I think just making them was healing in a lot of ways for me too.
I love seeing new artists show up, try their hand at it, some just wanting a relaxing hobby, some trying to sell babies. Some fade off, some stick around for awhile and some have been here been making these babies for over 25 years.
If you are doing this just because you love it, keep doing it, there can never be too many beautiful babies. If you are trying to turn this into a job I wish you all the luck in the world, its a labor of love, tedius, but so rewarding when someone falls in love with a baby you make. My advice would be “don’t quit your day job”.
It’s the holiday season and baby sales are going to be what they are going to be, don’t let it discourage you. Some years its awesome, some years not so much, still you created, still you pushed yourself a little and learned something new, you made some new friends, you fell in love with art a little more. It’s a win-win.
At the end of the day it is still all about community, art is a way to connect with other people on new and different levels. I am grateful for all the connections I have made doing this, I don’t regret it at all no matter how crazy my friends thought it was (still they wanted to see and hold the babies). I do regret hoarding so many baby things… my goodness.
December, the last month of 2024, how fast it went.
I am thinking of all the things I am feeling grateful for. Reborns, the work I do, the fun I had, the people I met… grateful big time.
