Antidote for Discouragement

Look for the blessings.

That's it.

If you're feeling discouraged, look for those blessings and appreciate them.

They are the signposts to keep moving your forward, the bread and drink for the journey.

Have a most blessed Monday readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans.

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: What Every Artist Hates to Admit

Sunday, November 4, 2012

What Every Artist Hates to Admit

Yesterday, I spent seven hours at a craft fair and didn't sell anything. Not one book. Not one cookbook. Not one candle.

It's not that I didn't have plenty of traffic. People looked through the books, walked away with cards, filled out their contact information on recycled Vamp Fest tickets and folded them into my "music box." A few fans stopped by just to be friendly and supportive. A crowd gathered around the woman who won my Bryony basket, "ooohing and ahhing" over its contents.

But sales? None, the very first event I worked all year that did not result in a sale.

I did, however, sell two books today out of the blue. So go figure.

So why am I publicly admitting my failure? Because artists rarely admit it.

Actually, I've only met two artists ever that were humble enough to share the hard truth about how well they do at certain events. One was a discouragaed vendor I'd met at Witches Night Out. She was working her second show and had sold nothing at her initial one. Maybe the first venue was not right for her product, or maybe it was just the luck of the evening, but at Witches Night Out, she sold hand over foot. The second artist is a fantastic illlustrator. He had recently returned from a Wisconsin show without selling a single piece of artwork and didn't mind telling that to me.

I've sold copies of Bryony at some unusual venues, places where my only intention was to hand out cards to passersby and create awareness of the product. Yesterday, though, was not my day.

Do I care? Sort of. Enough to make me quit? Absolutely not.

I am publicly announcing it, however, because I want artists to know that, whatever successful sales figures they might read online about OTHER independent artists, (which we always seem to seek out when we hit our low), the hard truth is this.

Sometimes people want what you're selling and sometimes they won't. It's not personal because past sales, no matter how slim, prove you have a market for your art. Unfortunately, when you're just beginning to place your works (and admit it, your ego, for all true artists leave parts of themselves behind in their art), you need to experiment with many opportunities until you discover the best places to find your audience.

And that means taking some hits.

So what?

Old Folders

It’s not just birdhouses I move out of my way. Actually, today they are sitting on top of a stack of folders, another gift from another friend. This former church pastor spent a lifetime promoting the value of positive thinking. Each time he gave a presentation or led a seminar of some kind, he created a folder full of corresponding material. While cleaning out his office, he came across a stack of these folders and gave them to me. I still have three children living at home, one is in college and the other two are homeschooled, not to mention all the hard copies of notes I'm saving regarding Bryony, so I go through folders like mad. I figure I’ll just toss the information and save the folders.

However, the content in each of these packets catches my eye. The one open on my lap features a graveyard cartoon. The tombstone says, “Here lies someone who was going to be happy tomorrow.” There is also a page of stress busters, A Creed for the Discouraged, a plan for becoming more encouraging, and an entire page of suggestions for praise. I’m uplifted just sifting through them.

The kids can buy more folders. These are going downstairs in a place I will see them. When someone passes through my door in need of encouragement, assertiveness training, a self-esteem boost, or a hug, I’m going to hand them one of these folders, compliments of my friend. That way, in spirit, he continues to pass along the blessing.