Benefits of Being Helpful
Every market or event I show at is an opportunity to interface with my community and other artists. I obviously want to sell well but that’s not the only goal. My goals are to make some money, boost my confidence, and grow my network.
I pride myself on being authentically myself at every turn. As I grow confident in myself as a working artist, I want to maintain true to who I am and not bend to fit someone else’s vision of what art and artists are.
I’m one of those people that will have next to no filter when I see something wrong. Someone cuts an elderly person off at the checkout line, you best bet I’m saying “Whoa that was rude” and letting the elderly person go in front of me and helping them with their bags. I sort of live by a motto of try to be a good person who benefits those around me. This can make me seem like a try hard or overly concerned with others and that’s perfectly fine by me.
As such, I am someone at a craft fair that wants to help out my neighbors. I will overhear someone a booth over mention how they forgot something or need an extra hand with their setup and you best believe I will be helping to the best of my ability.
At the last show I participated in, the couple next to me were tyedye vendors, which meant all of their wares were very light. The show ended up getting quite windy so I offered them some extra stakes for their tent and some lightweight rope to tie down their shirts. They ended up only needing the stakes since they had zipties for the shirts but nonetheless I was helpful. After all was said and done at the show they ended up losing a bolt for their tent in the grass, I asked if it was magnetic and sent my son over with some of my magnets to help look in the grass.
This is just the sort of person I am. I try to be courteous and anticipate the needs of the folks around me. If you are in a situation where you have two pens and someone else needs a pen, why wouldn’t you lend them your extra? It hurts no one to be helpful.
If you are kind and courteous and well prepared for your shows, people are more likely to invite you back or think of you for future events.
