Over the past while I have been infiltrating resin groups. Haha. Mostly observing because I want to get a feel for what's going on out there. Super interesting the things I've learned not in regards to resin but in how information is shared and MISinformation is shared. One of the biggest takeaways for me was how different each group is. For instance a group comprised of mostly men who make big projects like tables is VERY different from a group made up of mostly women who do a lot of trinkets and smaller resin projects. The same question could be asked in both groups and it's amazing to me how different the answers end up depending on the group. This has led me to understand a few things:
1. People really are influenced by what is around them so if you stay in just one community you start to mesh with those people and the groups opinions start to become your opinions also.
2. People are more prone to believe advice they receive in groups or their resin community than they are anywhere else. It's easier to ask a group than to research yourself. This is not always a good thing because as I mentioned each group starts to develop their own belief systems and opinions. Sort of that "you become who you surround yourself with"
3. The men's groups are tough. They all think they're right and no one is willing to concede that there might be another way to do things. They argue more. They criticize outright without constructive feedback and they tend to be less welcoming of newcomers.
4. The women's groups are tough. They get on each other's backs over little things and don't hold back in pointing out things that could be left unsaid like, "I hope you wore proper PPE!" on someone's post where they're only just showing off the work they're proud of. They tend to criticize methods and systems more so than the outcome. Mothering maybe?
Because of all this I believe that there are a lot of people who are very hesitant to ask questions, show off their work or even post. People often tell me that they have all the stuff to try a resin craft but that they're afraid to start. Are they afraid to start or is it intimidating because social media can be quiet the nasty beast?
I don't want anyone to hold back from their passions for fear of not being good enough, not knowing enough or worrying about what others might say or think. I want a supportive community. I want experimentation. I want everyone to know that there are certainly more than one way to do things. When I started using resin I paid no attention to what others were doing and if I'm being honest I still don't that much until I started snooping in these groups. I just led with my imagination and I tried all different things. I do things differently, not wrong. It is through experimentation and not holding back that I've created some really cool techniques and looks.
Saying that there are still some basics when it comes to epoxy that you can't bend the rules on so with the help of an actual expert we will also touch on a lot of that in here as well.
So please, I invite you to come on over to my Resin Studio community. Let's get creative! Beautiful things happen when the walls come down.