Photo from...Decatur Arts in Central Park, '07Every year it's the same...right before my art fair season starts I'm in this last minuet rush! I consider myself a well planned, well organized person yet the pattern is always the same. It's frustrating. I even schedule my "to do's" on a calender!! Because my my "Real Job" and my summer show reschedule somewhat collide during the summer months, I try to have all my show needs taken care of before hand. (so much to do and so little time)
My first show is in two weeks. Today I'm packaging prints and working on display signs. Doesn't seem like allot...but will probably take most of the day. I still have prints that I need to print but as luck would have it...my printer *&!?># out on me yesterday! So now I have this to deal with next week. (a trip out of town) Wasn't in the position to buy a new one and fixing the one I have will probably be unreasonable....GRRRRRR!
Am I having a bad week? YES! Sorry, I don't think this is a chat line question...perhaps simply a chat line groan. ( to make my day perfect...BLOGGER won't let me add an image to this post!!) What else would one expect?
Update...blogger had a change of heart, so there is now a photo!
So I ask you: Am I the only one that is in a dead run this time of the year? Are you in chaos before your show season begins? If not...what on earth do you do to avoid it?
The "Chat Line" is open...I'm anxious to here what you have to say. And as always, please feel free to comment on what others have to say.
Hope you're enjoying the wonderful weekend.
Marsha
Links:
Website ...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
My Squidoo ...Drawing Techniques
4 comments:
I can identify with the 'mad rush' syndrome. And that usually describes me before a show or art season starts.
Like many, I am organized to a large degree, however I also procrastinate and I often THINK I am ready. THen I find there aren't enough prints or the frames I thought I had aren't there or the wrapping I used for something else, etc. etc.
How to avoid it? I don't think we can unless we have paid assistants to do the prep work. And to some degree, the panic and rushing around is almost part of the tradition of doing a show. If it were all stress free I think I'd be worrying that I'd forgotten some major things!
But perhaps there is a happy medium between preparing for the shows in advance by knowing your major sellers and supplies that you need and having them on hand at all times.
Maybe a checklist of things that need to be done, prepared, bought, phoned, booked, etc that can be perpetual and then each show becomes a checkoff list a couple of weeks beforehand.
Personally, I like the idea of an assistant. I just can't pay them. Hey, perhaps the barter system could work in this. Drawing lessons in return for prep work for shows?????
I really can relate to everything you wrote. I just got through doing three art festivals, three weekends in a row. This is my first weekend home in a month and it feels a little strange. My next show is not for another 2 weeks so you would think I would be trying to get everything ready now so I would not have to experience the "last minute rush syndrome". That doesn't seem to be happening.
I too am very organized but I think I thrive on the stress that comes two days before I have to leave.
My printer also broke down in between shows and I got sick at the same time. Not a good week.
Another side of this is knowing when to stop. No one is making me take a certain amount of inventory. It's my call but sometimes I think "if I bring that piece it might sell so I better start cutting a mat for it and then there is this other image............" You can probably relate.
I also wanted to let you know that the shows have been going fairly well. I have low expectations this year but I have gone out there with the intention to "have fun and share my passion". Reminding myself of this when I start getting discouraged from lack of sales has been very helpful. I have had some of my best sales the last couple of hours of a show. Sales I probably would not have made if I had started feeling sorry for myself.
Thanks for bringing this topic up. It's a good one.
Oh boy! I can relate to this! I just had 2 paintngs accepted into an invitation only show and I need to have them framed. These are watercolors so that means mats, too! And I have a cafe show that I am getting ready for and there are so many little details to tend to that take up a suprizing amount of time!I don't think there is anyway to avoid that last minute rush. One of the things that I have done is to make my bestselling prints and package them during my slow times. Best of luck getting it all done! Great blog!!
Jeanett,
Ah! an assistant, that would be good...even better yet would be someone to clean my house!! I do agree that a certain amount of last minuet things are always going to be there. Trading "help" for lessons is a good idea.
Diane,
Printer issues at any time are a bummer but especially this time of the year. I've taken mine into "the geek squad" at Best Buy where for $49.00 they will send it off to be looked at. I'm waiting to see what they say...undecided as to whether this last minuet stress warrents going ahead and getting a new one. I could then have the old one fixed as a back up if the price was right. Hum...decesions I didn't want at this time.
Glad to hear your shows are going well. With the economy, I've been wondering what to expect. Art fairs are so labor intensive...it would be awful to go through all this and have no one there or no one buying. I intend to do a regular post on my experiences this season. You'll have to check back.
Deborah,
I too usually replenish my prints a bit earlier in the season, but this year decided to offer a few more new open editions than I've previously shown. I thought having this lower price point to offer people might encourage sales.
Despite my frustrations I'm fairly well prepared. It was this printer thing that threw me into a dither.
I've done all I can at this time and and going to get my crates organized today.
Special Note: Thanks to everyone...your encouragement helped smooth and calm my frustrations. Just knowing others "suffer" the same syndrome is of help. The old "misery loves company" thing.
Back to the grind,
Marsha
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