Lessons From An Art Fair
I have done craft fairs, craft booths, holiday bazaars, etc., for as long as I can remember. They were never my favorite part of the creative process, but hey, we have to support our addiction somehow, right?
I recently decided to submit my most recent artworks for inclusion in a “fine arts” Art Fair. My “why” was essentially the same; paint, tools, etc. are expensive…..oh and my husband said the artwork is taking over our house (he exaggerates of course, lol). To say I was intimidated and unsure was an understatement, but “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” right?
Anyway, here are a few lessons I learned from the experience:
1. There is room for everyone’s art. By that I mean, the beautiful thing about art is that each and every artist does it a little (or a lot!) differently. I was worried there wasn’t room for yet another landscape of the same area and it would be more about who did it “best.” The truth is, even the same subject or the same medium is interpreted differently by each artist and therefore appeals to different people for different reasons. What will always makes your art special that it is your unique interpretation.
2. It is a great way to build community with other artists. We spent a great deal of our downtime bouncing ideas, sharing techniques, admiring each other’s work, etc. I left with new friends, new ideas, and certainly more confidence.
3. It’s an ego boost. Selling art and making a few bucks is great, but even the “tire kicking” looky-loos that came through and oohed or ahh-ed boosted my ego and helped validate the elusive “artist” status I fight with in my head.
4. Speaking of validation. Contrary to my husband’s opinion, I do not have a ton of inventory, so I pretty much included everything that remotely passed my own “smell test.” You know those, “I think it’s ok, but I’m not really sure” paintings, or the ones where you only see the flaws? Of course we are always our own harshest critic and as I said before, for every different type of art, there is an admirer out there. Having someone stop and comment how much they liked something I was unsure about was truly validating. We do not have to be Michelangelo, we are simply putting our own very personal and unique efforts out there for the right person to appreciate.
I know some of you might be wondering, “what about the money, how did you do?” First, I will tell you, I had no expectations about making money from this first fair. It was more about putting that first toe in the water, figuring out my display, pricing, and just throwing myself and my art out there to see what happened. In the end, I sold a few things. Enough to cover my booth fees and maybe take hubby out to dinner. All in all, time well spent. I intend to do this again, I’ll keep you posted how it goes ;)