Signs around town
I almost titled this one “impending anxiety” or “countdown to my panic attack” but that seemed a tad dramatic. The other day I told my partner “Once I start seeing signs for my next show around town then it’ll feel too real”, and of course that morning I saw a poster in the window of a local coffee shop for the street fest. I audibly gasped and said “I brought this upon myself” (completely startling a woman who just complimented my earrings, whoops.)
The next show I have scheduled is the biggest fest I’ve ever been a part of. I am trying to maintain a confident demeanor and give off an air of “I do this all the time”, but it’s hard to show a brave face when truly I am scared. I’m excited for this big step for myself and the business but I’m stressing about how others will perceive my work and frankly my personality. It’s one thing for the artwork to be cool, beautiful, unique, or whatever other favorable adjective you want to put out there. It’s an entirely different thing to be the sole spokesperson for a brand you are building from the ground up. Add on top of this that the next show is basically in my hometown. It’s technically the next town over but it’s walking distance from my house, my kids school, my vet, and is being heavily promoted around town.
The sheer amount of people I know who attend this street fest is enough to send me into a tailspin. I’m still getting comfortable talking about my art with any of my non-art friends and acquaintances. I’m throwing myself into the deep end by showing and selling at What’s Blooming on Harrison. I know it might seem backwards to be more worried when I know people going than if I was surrounded by strangers exclusively. I’m worried about how I will be perceived as an artist by people who only interact with a specific version of me.
Do you have any friends that tell you something interesting about themselves and it in a way makes you think differently about them? Or act differently around them? Now add in that there is a marketing element and a sales element into the equation. It feels like there might be certain expectations.
I feel prepared for the street fest in regards to the work I have and the set up I will be doing for the sale. I have my marketing materials and all the back end supplies needed to make things go smoothly. I just need to keep my brain calm when seeing the LITERAL signs everywhere pointing to this fest. As my partner puts it “it’s against your best interest to spiral”.
