Sunday 9 September 2012

I'm back

It feels as if I've been away from the internet for a long time, although it's only been 2 days. Since we have one spare day in the 29 faces challenge, I decided last night was the perfect day to use it. I'd been busy all day trying to get ready for the market and I was knackered by the time I went to bed.

But from now on, I'll be here every day with a new one-liner. Here's face no 8, and she expresses perfectly how I feel sometimes ...


Thanks so much for all the kind words and well wishes for my market in the last post. It lifts me up, and especially after today I needed to read it. So thanks again!

About the market .... well, how shall I put it? I could say it was interesting, but it was not. It was boring. Bo-ring. In fact, I could even say it was a bit depressing. Why? Well, for starters: there were no people. And secondly: there were no people. And thirdly: there were NO PEOPLE. And if there are no people, it's hard to sell something, right?

Of course there were some people. But they were few and far between. And as a wise friend once told me (and I think she's right): when you make art, there's one-third of the people who'll love it, one-third will hate it, and one-third will be indifferent to it. So if there are not many people, and only one-third of those will be interested in what you make, well, you can make the math ...

I sold my doodle-box. That's it! And I could've kissed the lady who bought it. She made my day (as far as it was still salvable). I got lots of ooh's and aaah's over my mirrors, but buying? No way Jose!

So it was kind of depressing. And made me rethink the whole market idea. This was the first market I did in Australia, and I made a wrong choice, that's obvious. Will it be better at another market? Who knows? It might be worth a try, but I'm not sure I still want to do it.

I've done quite a few markets in Belgium before I moved here. Sometimes with good results, sometimes I felt like screaming out of frustration. Everytime I mention to my family that I want to do a market, they heave a collective sigh. Because they know that the week before the market all surfaces in the house will be full with half-finished stuff, my stress-level will gradually increase to screaming-point and the day before the market they will all have to help out with the practical stuff that I've "forgotten" about because I was too busy creating ....

This week I'm taking a break. I'll have to because the last 2 weeks I neglected all other things. The house is a mess, there's a pile half a meter high of paperwork that I have to sort out, my inbox is overflowing, and my businesscourses are at a standstill.

So I'm giving myself some time off to rethink things, and to paint. Oh gosh, how I missed painting last week! I like making mosaics, I like painting boxes and making magnets, but it's painting I love and can't live without. I wish I could just paint and leave all the marketing stuff to someone else.

Here's my daughter, assisting me in my little stall.


She was so looking forward playing cashier ... I doubt whether she'll want to accompany me to another market after today's disaster. But we had fun laughing with our misery.

And since I always try to see the positive in everything.: if there'd been many people and all the stall-holders around me would've sold heaps, and me only one box, well: THAT would really be depressing. So I'll just see it as a learning experience. To find out more about a market and the public they're expecting before subscribing for anything.

I have a lot of catching up to do on following all your blogs, but I'll get to it, promise!

Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow!


10 comments:

  1. I know what you mean about the markets, even with lots of people about its difficult to make sales. People dont want to spend alot of money on a whim which was my problem, trinkets and prints up to around $20 are fine but over that, well... Dont give up Denthe at least you did sell something, its a start, and it takes a while for people to know you are there:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your stall looks beautiful, and so does your child. :)
    Same happens here, people will go for an instant gratification with a trinket but larger pieces are difficult. You need to study the market scene, go to markets yourself as a visitor and read blogs of people who sell in your area (get all their cards at the markets!). You have to find the "wealth pockets", places where people spend more. Those markets are a bit more expensive to take part in but they have better sales too.
    Your art is beautiful and endearing, you only need to find the proper spot to offer it. Best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I´m so sorry to hear, that sales were not as good. Hopefully somebody has taken your businesscard and comes back later.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well that is certainly a bummer! It's so hard to find the right market ....you've gotten good suggestions already. I know your art is good and will sell once you find the right market :0) Chin up!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your oneliners! :) Sorry for the market. I realized early that's not for me. It sucks majorly if you can't even cover your expenses it took you to be there.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just LOVE your quote and your face goes perfectly with it! I'm sure that would sell at market. Sorry the crowds didn't go well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry your market experience did not go well. I went thru the same thing here in NZ. I use to do markets in the UK and sold heaps, but here no, people seen only interested in trinkets or cheap stuff. But well done for for selling one thing, I have been to some where I sold nothing. Love your comment on your drawing, did you do before or after the market?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hihi, thanks Sharon. I made it after the market ;-)

      Delete
  8. Hi Denthe, how nice to meet you here, in Dutch then, since you wrote I could.... wat jammer van die markt zeg ! Ik weet precies wat je bedoelt, maar het is niet leuk als het zo gaat. Waar zit je in Oz ? misschien beter een gellerie zoeken die jouw werk er ook wel wil hangen ? Dan hoef je zelf niet te gaan zitten hangen... xx Will see you again !!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hang in there! Your stuff looks awesome. You just need the right market location.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love hearing your thoughts about my work. Because I am getting too many spammer comments, l have to use Captcha, sorry. Hope this is not a problem for you !