It's been about 11 days since I showed as a vendor at the Mikone Market, and I think I have finally recovered from the low level exhaustion I encountered as I prepped for the show.
The bliss joy, however have not subsided and I am still floating on cloud nine thinking of the wonderfulness of it all.
Joining the market was a total whim. It was a "leap across the canyon of blind faith" moment. It was the "I have no idea what I 'm getting myself into here" feeling and saying "Who cares, I'm doing it anyway".
I threw all caution to the wind and jumped, blind, both feet forward, hoping for the best.
And it was the best.
I asked myself about half way through the preparation, what exactly I was hoping to accomplish by attending. I'm a graphic and visual artist and illustrator. I have no passion for vintage item reclamation (although I think it's a totally rad passion to have) and I have NO CLUE about refinishing furniture with specialty paints and waxes (although I would LOVE TO LEARN, ahem, Lisa).
But, I am a girl who has a solid romance with creative vulnerability, and a deep love for making art. I'm also pretty much my own worst enemy when it comes to taking a chance on myself. I mean, I am really damn good at talking myself into the notion of having all conditions be PERFECT before I fly, so taking this leap off the canyon when not a single thing was known or understood beforehand, was absolutely exhilarating and necessary.
And very frightening.
And so completely awesome.
I had no idea what to expect or what to bring, for that matter. I had a nasty voice in my head telling me no one would give two snits about my work. I had a full, full schedule on top of my market prep schedule and six weeks to get it all together.
SO, I decided that:
a good night's sleep was currently irrelevant;
I was gonna just "bring it" and "wing it" (somewhat like "fake it till you make it");
ANY VOICE which wanted to bring me down could suck it (to speak bluntly);
and schedule, medule...I WAS GOING TO GET THIS DONE.
And. I. Did.
So. What did I want to get out of this experience? I wanted to gain experience. I wanted to understand how to do this. How to get better next time. What to do more of and what to eliminate completely. And I wanted to connect with people.
Connection with real humans in real time is what makes art so rad. I heard so many stories about owls and what they mean to people. I heard countless people talk to me about their dream of being an artist, and I was able to inspire and encourage their vision. People loved the scripted words. They felt empowered by them and connected to an idea that when you see art that says you are awesome or that you can trust yourself, then maybe, just maybe it's actually true.
My heart grew ten-fold that day just in the connections alone!
And, people loved the work. They bought my stuff and wanted to buy the original pieces. They asked about commissions and adored the customizable baby prints. They loved the work.
Which, of course is pretty rad too.
Oh, there's so much more about that day that is forever tucked into my secret heart where all the beautiful stuff goes. The entire vibe. The gorgeous displays, the furniture, the women who are making beautiful things and sharing them with the community. The entire MAKER community! This sweet little market draws in all sorts of intelligent and creative folks who are just so supportive and I LOVED seeing women support women who are juggling busy lives, but who are also following passions.
It was like a moment in time where all the magic from this corner of the Universe was channelled into this sweet little spot for six hours and connected us all in a creative pursuit to beautify the world.
How awesome.
Huge thanks to Kiona who is the lovely maven of the Market. You are so completely awesome in a million ways! Huge thanks to my family, my husband, mama and kids for helping me and supporting me through the prep and big day. Huge hugs and kissses to old friends and new that stopped in to say hi, or texted their love or bought an item or two. You all are just so wonderful and I am infinitely blessed to have you bodacious souls surrounding me with your light.
Phew. I love you all. And, life? I REALLY love you too.
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