Selling Happiness

“I'm so happy Mexico By Hand exists. Always a joy to visit your site and your product quality and the love that goes into them touches my Mexican heart. I've loved everything I have from you. Thank you!” This feedback arrived from Maria who bought some embroidered blouses from me again this year. After ten years of selling artesania, I cannot tell you what kind of person will be a Mexican art consumer. Sometimes it's a Mexican-American like Maria, or someone of another ethnic background who travels to and loves Mexico. But sometimes my best customers speak no Spanish, have very little understanding of the culture, and have only ventured to Mexico to vacation at a beach resort or maybe a town like San Miguel de Allende-- which is charming, but not "real Mexico" in my book-- and that was many years ago. They don't necessarily talk about wanting to go to Mexico, but they definitely want these charming expressions of Mexican culture in their homes. Or on their backs. A lot of my merchandise is housewares and decorative items, but we also carry woven rebozos and embroidered blouses, which some women are absolutely crazy for. Not everyone feels comfortable wearing an "ethnic" piece of wearable folk art, but there are some women, and again I can't predict who they will be, who embrace the style enthusiastically. Customers like Beth in London, who orders blouses from me while I'm still in Mexico-- minutes after I post photos to my Facebook page.  Then there's Carlina, a lovely woman in San Francisco who bought several blouses and rebozos recently, including this gorgeous embroidered dress I found for her.

After receiving the photo I emailed her Carlina wrote: "I have fallen madly in love with the dress! I had such a terrible day with a series of bad medical news and to open this coming home-- wow and thank you!"

I believe that making people happy is what art is all about-- isn’t it?

And it's the art that makes me happy too. I could never sell widgets, whatever they are. Plumbing or office supplies do not turn me on, although I know they're necessary and I appreciate the men and women who do sell them. I buy artesania that I like-- sometimes love-- and therefore it's a pleasure for me to sell it to others. I want to share the beauty, and am excited when a piece I purchased in Michoacán goes home with a happy customer in the United States. 
Sometimes I feel like I'm in the happiness business. 

Embroidered blouses and other items that bring happiness are available on our website:
www.mexicobyhand.com