Maybe I’m Doing Better Than I Think

What One Review About Stardust & Suds Taught Me About Trusting Myself

You wake up one day with a vision, an idea, and start bringing it to life. 

Little by little, Stardust & Suds took shape outside my head, right in front of me.

I truly enjoy every minute of making these products, and I pour that love into the soaps, scrubs, salts, and seasonings. They’re beautiful, a little luxurious, and full of intention.

Even so… there’s doubt.

Doubt is a nasty little critter. It likes to hang out with anxiety and depression.

In the back of your mind, doubt whispers, “Is this good enough? What was I thinking?”

It is so easy to second-guess yourself when you're creating something from scratch. Customer feedback is one way to get out of my thoughts and focus on what other people see that I cannot.

Oddly, it’s easier to believe criticism than praise—especially when there are few, if any, sales over weeks.

That’s a self-trust issue, and I am still working on it.

Then, too, there are questions.

For example, people ask, “Why sparkles everywhere?”

My answer is simply, “Why not?”

I love seeing things that shine like the sun and stars, particularly on gloomy days.

Still, those questions make you pause and reconsider your methods and media. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Feedback can make us think. It can challenge us. It can give us ideas we hadn't considered.

But it can also remind us that we're onto something.

Today, a customer named Amy sent me this review about Stardust & Suds based on her order, which consisted of Butterfly Blessings, Harlequin, and Golden Honeycomb Soap, along with Amber Alchemy Sweet Spice and Seaglass Sugar Citrus Scrub:

If you haven’t visited Stardust & Suds yet, you are truly missing out! Trish’s site is an absolute treasure trove of handmade self-care and kitchen magic.

I’m completely obsessed with her soaps and sugar scrubs—they smell heavenly, provide the gentlest exfoliation, and leave her skin feeling deeply hydrated and glowing. I’ve also tried her custom seasonings, and as someone who has enjoyed her delicious home cooking firsthand, I can guarantee 1000% that her seasonings and Kitchen Witch cookbooks are the real deal.

She crafts everything with pure passion and quality. Treat yourself or find the perfect gift at stardustandsuds.com!

I cried.

I laughed with joy.

And I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

Because a response like this tells me something I can't always tell myself: what I'm making is reaching someone.

It tells me that something I’ve spent hours imagining, making, packaging, and worrying over works for her, and hopefully many others. 

And maybe that's one of the most valuable things feedback can do.

It doesn't have to tell you what to make.

It doesn't have to determine your direction.

It doesn't even have to be positive.

It simply gives you another perspective—one from outside your own head.

If you’re a crafter, artist, maker, writer, or small-business owner and find yourself stuck in the doubt zone, ask a few people you trust to try your work. Ask them what they notice. What they love. What they don't understand. What they would change.

Then listen.

Not blindly. Not as though every opinion is a command.

Listen for the patterns.

Let the feedback spur new ideas and improvements. Let it show you what other people see that you may have become too close to notice.

And, every once in a while, let someone else's words remind you that maybe you're doing better than you think.

Now, back to work.

There are bubbles to be made.