What a beautiful honest post. I think we’ve all been ‘there’ - putting ourselves out there (creatively or otherwise) where people discount the ‘heart and soul’ behind our being…or they don’t even care to look for it!
I’m glad you found the line to draw - your ‘no more’ line. Everything you pour into your ‘no more’ bucket, sucks the joy and energy from your ‘fill me up’ bucket.
Breathe. It’s such an empowering feeling to say no to the things that exhaust us (emotionally and physically) to make room for the things that just bring us joy.
Imagine how the world benefits from our lights shining just a little more brightly. Shine on!
I totally related to your post and I think as creatives we want our hard work to be seen and appreciated but not every venue presents those opportunities. I think that people who don’t create art understand sometimes the hard work , heart, soul and passion that goes into creating and how hurtful it is to make disparaging comments about your work as if you are not standing there . I gave up
Doing art fairs for this very reason . It crushed me to hear peoples comments and sowed seed of doubt in my abilities. . Quite honestly , I absolutely love your work and i was hoping you would be selling these online . I would love to purchase one for my new soon to be born granddaughter. Please let us know because I am sure others in our wonderful uplifting community you have put together feel the same way
Your wisdom is your gift to us, your creative followers. You articulate so well things learned from your experience, your enlightenments, your pain, your joys. Thanks for sharing from your honest, sacred place of understanding. I have valuable takeaways from your post today.
Your table with your framed paintings and cards looks amazing!
Just remember the joy you experienced creating all these pieces for the show!
It’s just so difficult to sell anything! I tried it for years with my photography, photo cards mainly and smaller prints. I’m not the person who talks to people walking by my table either. I rarely visit arts markets these days because I usually don’t want to buy anything. Knowing how it feels to be the one behind the table, their excitement to maybe selling something or just talking to people acknowledging your creativity.
There’s just so much art one can buy from others!
I’m so thankful for your 100daysofwonders group you created! It’s bring me so much joy and calmness ☺️
I so relate to everything you said. As I sit here at 8:30 pm getting ready for bed because I have my first craft show of the year tomorrow. It is sooo hard! Most of the time I don’t even like people, but since I retired 18 months ago I spend way too much time alone, so these events force me to remember how to socialize and maybe make a few friends.
Michele, I hate it when we look forward to what we think is going to be a good time and then end up disappointed because after all the preparations we made and expectations we had, it doesn't live up to the the hype we gave it , don't you?
Story time: I made counted cross stitch pictures, as a hobby, for several years and gave a few framed ones as gifts. My late mother-in-law loved teddy bears, and I put in many, many hours making her an adorable 11x14 Teddy Bear Picnic picture, and matting and framing it as a birthday gift. The " big day" came and I gave it to her. Let's just say, I think she would've rather had a new pair of pajamas! I was crushed by her lack of enthusiasm for her gift. My point is, art is very specific to some people, others appreciate the hard work and beauty in all art.
I'm sorry your art show didn't turn out to be more of what you thought it would be. If you choose to do another one, in a different place and time, it may turn out to be closer to what you expected. Your art, on display in the picture, looks beautiful- you're very creative and talented- and your 100 Days of Wonder community certainly realizes it! I (and many others) are very grateful to have connected with you. We appreciate your endless efforts to show us how to imagine and recreate the beauty we see around us in whatever form of art we choose to.
Time to be good to yourself, rest up and maybe you'll feel better about the whole experience in the morning! Thank you for sharing, and next time.... maybe just say "No"!
I can totally relate to this. Last December I had Christmas cards on the market of my daughters school. The money was for the kids and I had painted around 40 cards, which were initially painted just for fun and myself. The price was set by other mothers, around 5$ and I was a little shocked that they sold it so (in my eyes) cheap. I had a 30 minutes time slot helping and it was so hard to see people looking at my work. Not always with pleasure. Fortunately all but 4 cards were sold, but it’s crazy how I feel about these 4 cards. Why did none want them, even not for this lousy price…
I totally understand your decision, Art is more for you …. you’re just protecting yourself here ❤️
Your post has rekindled one of the paradoxes of making: making art for the sake of art & practice vs making to sell.
When I share the art I make online some viewers instantly go to the sell these!! place. It’s taken me a long time to understand my reaction. For them this is a a compliment to say oh your work should be out there, yet they have no understanding of how the business aspect of selling or how it would change my life. I say no to selling. I am delighted to gift.
I’m sending you bunches of great vibes for a speedy recovery from the show! I can completely understand what you’re feeling like. I have a studio and shop in my home and now only do one show a year…our local outdoor annual community festival which is only several blocks from my house. Shows are really a hit or miss…I’ve done both. I set up at this particular show for several reasons…it’s good advertising for the upcoming holiday season since I’m close by, my daughter who’s a metalsmith sets up there too and has a great local following, I’ve lived in the area my entire life so it’s like a reunion, and the food is fantastic! I’ve long since given up on selling gobs of my work and just enjoy the weekend with my daughter and fellow creatives. I’ve been fortunate that I’m able to meet new customers there and they show up in my shop for holiday gift buying. I love it even though it’s hard work and basically knocks me flat for a few days.
This coming weekend I’m heading to see my daughter (2 hours west of me) to help her at a local Arts Festival. I’m always amazed to see her latest jewelry creations and take some time to meet with other creatives I’ve met at previous shows. It gets me excited for the upcoming year…sort of like a battery recharge…like 100 Days of Wonder is doing for me. You have an amazing way of bringing us together and encouraging our creativity. Your enthusiasm is contagious! Since I began this journey with you I have accomplished so much more than I ever have before. Thanks to help from my daughter, my dream of having a creative Garden Hut as an extension of my shop is becoming a reality. It’s been a great mother daughter project. My level of creativity has been so high that it’s turning out even better than I imagined. Thank you for that. You have definitely found what you can say “YES” to…..keep inspiring us!
Michele your post is very much sympathized with. For years while growing my art business I did shows, and markets. Being a volunteer kind of person (after all if you’re part of an organization you should volunteer right?). But I was always the do it person- taking on organizing events, some very large events for my organization. I was always left to run the thing and couldn’t be with my art much because of those duties, thus sales were low. I won awards for it but sales not so much. I burnt out and was eventually created no art because no one else volunteered. So I said NO to the art association and have not been back. An introvert by nature this was so hard to say no. Well when I did- that was the end of any connection with others in the group- I was no longer of interest for them. It took me along while to get back to my art practice in my life. I much prefer now my own art practice now only for me, marketing and selling is NOT my thing and brings little results for the efforts and heartfelt disappointments that often come with markets. I appreciate your online presence in encouraging and connecting like people. Because maybe, just maybe we still need connections with other creatives and it can be a safe place to start again.
Hi, I am extremely confused about which email and which place to post? I know I’m behind but I did email a while ago to see if I could get things straightened out. Probably went to the wrong place??
I positively LOVE your shares! You have such an amazing way of describing things so accurately! Truly a way with words. I chuckled and related through reading so much of this! I once did craft fairs for a season of my life! Enough said ;) I was reading saying yes! yes! and yes! ;) I also love ALL the amazing wisdom that you share so simply and in a matter-of-fact way yet so very profound and amazing food for thought and deep reflection! I am SO excited for all the FUN things to come! YaY!!! AND........Queen of complicated........can I share the crown with you? LOL! I bet so many of us can share it! Ha Ha! Goodness, gracious! I think that would be definitely one thing that hinders my creativity. I get so in depth and want to do these elaborate things no matter what the creative endeavor seems to be! Then I end up usually not finishing the project. So, practicing a willingness to allow for simple and have that BE OKAY would be one small thing. ;) I also love your wisdom on how saying no allows our yes to arrive! Truly love your shares and as I read feel like you normalize SO many of my thoughts or experiences being another who gets it and is voicing it! I am also grateful for how chockful of wisdom your shares are! THANK YOU!! Sending warm hugs!! XOXO ;)
This is exactly what I needed to hear...or read. I make cards. I gladly make one for friends to give,.if they ask. I sold a few, commissions, and it took away all the joy of making.
The hardest thing I had to learn was to say no to my parents. Their demands, opinions and criticism. I'm sad you had a not so good experience at the market. Your creations are beautiful and inspire thousands of people. You are wonderful, and I appreciate everything you do for me xx
I try very hard to not say Yes to everything. Mostly I don't need to say No because I enjoy doing all I do.
It's people, rather than myself that I do have a real problem to say No to when I have to. I take a deep breath in and mentally put my hand up, then say that I can't do that. I can cope with saying no to myself much easier than to anyone else.
What a beautiful honest post. I think we’ve all been ‘there’ - putting ourselves out there (creatively or otherwise) where people discount the ‘heart and soul’ behind our being…or they don’t even care to look for it!
I’m glad you found the line to draw - your ‘no more’ line. Everything you pour into your ‘no more’ bucket, sucks the joy and energy from your ‘fill me up’ bucket.
Breathe. It’s such an empowering feeling to say no to the things that exhaust us (emotionally and physically) to make room for the things that just bring us joy.
Imagine how the world benefits from our lights shining just a little more brightly. Shine on!
I totally related to your post and I think as creatives we want our hard work to be seen and appreciated but not every venue presents those opportunities. I think that people who don’t create art understand sometimes the hard work , heart, soul and passion that goes into creating and how hurtful it is to make disparaging comments about your work as if you are not standing there . I gave up
Doing art fairs for this very reason . It crushed me to hear peoples comments and sowed seed of doubt in my abilities. . Quite honestly , I absolutely love your work and i was hoping you would be selling these online . I would love to purchase one for my new soon to be born granddaughter. Please let us know because I am sure others in our wonderful uplifting community you have put together feel the same way
Your wisdom is your gift to us, your creative followers. You articulate so well things learned from your experience, your enlightenments, your pain, your joys. Thanks for sharing from your honest, sacred place of understanding. I have valuable takeaways from your post today.
Michelle, I so feel for you!
Your table with your framed paintings and cards looks amazing!
Just remember the joy you experienced creating all these pieces for the show!
It’s just so difficult to sell anything! I tried it for years with my photography, photo cards mainly and smaller prints. I’m not the person who talks to people walking by my table either. I rarely visit arts markets these days because I usually don’t want to buy anything. Knowing how it feels to be the one behind the table, their excitement to maybe selling something or just talking to people acknowledging your creativity.
There’s just so much art one can buy from others!
I’m so thankful for your 100daysofwonders group you created! It’s bring me so much joy and calmness ☺️
Thank you!
I so relate to everything you said. As I sit here at 8:30 pm getting ready for bed because I have my first craft show of the year tomorrow. It is sooo hard! Most of the time I don’t even like people, but since I retired 18 months ago I spend way too much time alone, so these events force me to remember how to socialize and maybe make a few friends.
Michele, I hate it when we look forward to what we think is going to be a good time and then end up disappointed because after all the preparations we made and expectations we had, it doesn't live up to the the hype we gave it , don't you?
Story time: I made counted cross stitch pictures, as a hobby, for several years and gave a few framed ones as gifts. My late mother-in-law loved teddy bears, and I put in many, many hours making her an adorable 11x14 Teddy Bear Picnic picture, and matting and framing it as a birthday gift. The " big day" came and I gave it to her. Let's just say, I think she would've rather had a new pair of pajamas! I was crushed by her lack of enthusiasm for her gift. My point is, art is very specific to some people, others appreciate the hard work and beauty in all art.
I'm sorry your art show didn't turn out to be more of what you thought it would be. If you choose to do another one, in a different place and time, it may turn out to be closer to what you expected. Your art, on display in the picture, looks beautiful- you're very creative and talented- and your 100 Days of Wonder community certainly realizes it! I (and many others) are very grateful to have connected with you. We appreciate your endless efforts to show us how to imagine and recreate the beauty we see around us in whatever form of art we choose to.
Time to be good to yourself, rest up and maybe you'll feel better about the whole experience in the morning! Thank you for sharing, and next time.... maybe just say "No"!
I can totally relate to this. Last December I had Christmas cards on the market of my daughters school. The money was for the kids and I had painted around 40 cards, which were initially painted just for fun and myself. The price was set by other mothers, around 5$ and I was a little shocked that they sold it so (in my eyes) cheap. I had a 30 minutes time slot helping and it was so hard to see people looking at my work. Not always with pleasure. Fortunately all but 4 cards were sold, but it’s crazy how I feel about these 4 cards. Why did none want them, even not for this lousy price…
I totally understand your decision, Art is more for you …. you’re just protecting yourself here ❤️
Good Morning Michele,
Your post has rekindled one of the paradoxes of making: making art for the sake of art & practice vs making to sell.
When I share the art I make online some viewers instantly go to the sell these!! place. It’s taken me a long time to understand my reaction. For them this is a a compliment to say oh your work should be out there, yet they have no understanding of how the business aspect of selling or how it would change my life. I say no to selling. I am delighted to gift.
Gifting is from the heart. ❤️
cleaning house disrupts my creativity.
Good morning Michele!
I’m sending you bunches of great vibes for a speedy recovery from the show! I can completely understand what you’re feeling like. I have a studio and shop in my home and now only do one show a year…our local outdoor annual community festival which is only several blocks from my house. Shows are really a hit or miss…I’ve done both. I set up at this particular show for several reasons…it’s good advertising for the upcoming holiday season since I’m close by, my daughter who’s a metalsmith sets up there too and has a great local following, I’ve lived in the area my entire life so it’s like a reunion, and the food is fantastic! I’ve long since given up on selling gobs of my work and just enjoy the weekend with my daughter and fellow creatives. I’ve been fortunate that I’m able to meet new customers there and they show up in my shop for holiday gift buying. I love it even though it’s hard work and basically knocks me flat for a few days.
This coming weekend I’m heading to see my daughter (2 hours west of me) to help her at a local Arts Festival. I’m always amazed to see her latest jewelry creations and take some time to meet with other creatives I’ve met at previous shows. It gets me excited for the upcoming year…sort of like a battery recharge…like 100 Days of Wonder is doing for me. You have an amazing way of bringing us together and encouraging our creativity. Your enthusiasm is contagious! Since I began this journey with you I have accomplished so much more than I ever have before. Thanks to help from my daughter, my dream of having a creative Garden Hut as an extension of my shop is becoming a reality. It’s been a great mother daughter project. My level of creativity has been so high that it’s turning out even better than I imagined. Thank you for that. You have definitely found what you can say “YES” to…..keep inspiring us!
Sincerely,
Carla
Michele your post is very much sympathized with. For years while growing my art business I did shows, and markets. Being a volunteer kind of person (after all if you’re part of an organization you should volunteer right?). But I was always the do it person- taking on organizing events, some very large events for my organization. I was always left to run the thing and couldn’t be with my art much because of those duties, thus sales were low. I won awards for it but sales not so much. I burnt out and was eventually created no art because no one else volunteered. So I said NO to the art association and have not been back. An introvert by nature this was so hard to say no. Well when I did- that was the end of any connection with others in the group- I was no longer of interest for them. It took me along while to get back to my art practice in my life. I much prefer now my own art practice now only for me, marketing and selling is NOT my thing and brings little results for the efforts and heartfelt disappointments that often come with markets. I appreciate your online presence in encouraging and connecting like people. Because maybe, just maybe we still need connections with other creatives and it can be a safe place to start again.
Hi, I am extremely confused about which email and which place to post? I know I’m behind but I did email a while ago to see if I could get things straightened out. Probably went to the wrong place??
So… a bit of help please. Thanks!
I positively LOVE your shares! You have such an amazing way of describing things so accurately! Truly a way with words. I chuckled and related through reading so much of this! I once did craft fairs for a season of my life! Enough said ;) I was reading saying yes! yes! and yes! ;) I also love ALL the amazing wisdom that you share so simply and in a matter-of-fact way yet so very profound and amazing food for thought and deep reflection! I am SO excited for all the FUN things to come! YaY!!! AND........Queen of complicated........can I share the crown with you? LOL! I bet so many of us can share it! Ha Ha! Goodness, gracious! I think that would be definitely one thing that hinders my creativity. I get so in depth and want to do these elaborate things no matter what the creative endeavor seems to be! Then I end up usually not finishing the project. So, practicing a willingness to allow for simple and have that BE OKAY would be one small thing. ;) I also love your wisdom on how saying no allows our yes to arrive! Truly love your shares and as I read feel like you normalize SO many of my thoughts or experiences being another who gets it and is voicing it! I am also grateful for how chockful of wisdom your shares are! THANK YOU!! Sending warm hugs!! XOXO ;)
This is exactly what I needed to hear...or read. I make cards. I gladly make one for friends to give,.if they ask. I sold a few, commissions, and it took away all the joy of making.
Thank you for your thoughts and honesty.
Be well,
Carol
The hardest thing I had to learn was to say no to my parents. Their demands, opinions and criticism. I'm sad you had a not so good experience at the market. Your creations are beautiful and inspire thousands of people. You are wonderful, and I appreciate everything you do for me xx
I try very hard to not say Yes to everything. Mostly I don't need to say No because I enjoy doing all I do.
It's people, rather than myself that I do have a real problem to say No to when I have to. I take a deep breath in and mentally put my hand up, then say that I can't do that. I can cope with saying no to myself much easier than to anyone else.