Reflecting on my Second Booth Experience

Much like my first booth, I didn't exactly experience a blistering amount of sales but I learned so much. 

For starters, I think I've landed on my ideal setup, at least when the sun is behind me rather than spilling into the front of my tent. Sitting up toward the front of the booth helped with engagement. This didn't result in more sales than my first booth, but it did allow me to connect with the fair attendees and answer questions or just more directly notice what caught their eye and what kind of attention they were looking for in return.

That last point in particular is what made the weekend feel like a success. Kids seem to enjoy all the colors; I get a lot of budding artists and their parents examining my art and asking me about it, sharing their own artistic ideas. The Experiments line is perfect for this kind of interest: Got a spare frame? Spiff up your desk/cube/small wall with reversible art. I have an idea on how to showcase this a bit more that I started to develop in this past weekend's show. But I need to make it even more apparent for the littles (and their adult purse strings).

I also really appreciated the various people with whom I could tell my art resonated. They just weren't looking to buy art at the moment. Several people took cards after sharing their own art journey or how much they liked this particular color combination.

The engagement went both ways. I got to appreciate the variety of humanity out for a relaxing weekend fair stroll, hoping to find that perfect last-minute holiday gift. I complimented one person's Wonder Woman shirt while they were taking a closer look at my jewelry. I could tell they weren't really interested in buying anything, but they took the opportunity to share how they had a Wonder Woman tattoo. I noticed some additional ink on their arm, listing names in beautiful script. I asked if they were family, they indicated they were niblings. And then they shared that one name on the list had passed away recently at a young age. I shared in a moment of grief, they took a card and left. It was a brief moment, but it reminded me that art is connection. Something in my work drew their eye and our interaction gave them permission to share a spot of grief; taking the business card was a way to hold on to that shared moment. 

I'm fortunate that I can afford to keep "losing money" on experiences like this. Those 20 years (and still counting, sigh) in clinical research are definitely good for a safety net and the space to let me build this business and figure out where I want to spend my time. So I'll keep at the fairs like this, regardless of "profit" in 2026. They are continuing education and more opportunities to keep connecting with my community as I find the ways to my focused audience.