Feeling Chicken
I’m nervous. In a heartbeat, the summer art vendor season will be upon me, and I am experiencing intense moments of anticipation and fear. Â The anticipation comes from meeting people and being part of a unique industry…artists who must do their art. It’s exciting to test my work on a larger scale and to follow my heart. The phrase “art gypsy” makes me smile in recognition.
The fear, midlife fear, comes from being judged, possibly dismissed, and hurt. Hurt? Well, yeah. People usually mean well, but sometimes they say things that are hurtful. I don’t think I’m thin-skinned and yet hearing people whisper they can get a scarf at Walmart for less than $10 makes me cringe. Yes, Walmart carries a good selection of scarves, cards, and wall art. I’m not Walmart.
I’m a woman handcrafting items one by one often into the wee hours of the night.
Each scarf, each card, and each photograph took hours of my time to conceive, create, and cart to the art fair. I don’t want to compete with box stores or mass produced anything. I don’t even want to compete with other artists.
What I do want is to find collectors. People with an eye for art and artistry that is born of uniqueness. I am ever-evolving, and my creativity follows.
My first art fair is on June 18, at Rosemount, MN. If you happen to be in the area, please stop by and say hello. I’ll be the one bursting with anticipation and trying my darndest to hide my fears. Artists!
