Spring Fest Pop Up
“I’m not a vendor and I don’t do popups.”
As many times as I said it, I meant it. I genuinely meant it. So how did I end up with a vendor’s booth at a neighborhood festival this past weekend?
I used to think fondly of street fairs. I remember going to the Taste of Colorado, the Black Arts Festival and Juneteeth in Denver. We travelled as a family to Illinois and attended the Taste of Chicago. We took a road trip to New Orleans and visited the French Market. I usually had my own money to spend; my grandparents paid us for good grades and I was babysitting as early as age 10. We walked the streets through rows of canopy tents and tables, our eyes scrolling from booth to booth, trinket to t-shirt to turkey neck. The parent-on-duty usually covered the food and my money went towards things like sunglasses and personalized fitted hats. Drippy.
At some point, street fairs and art markets started wearing on me. The cost of carrying my aging body through swarms of people for hours on end was reason enough for me to start avoiding the vendors section at festivals. I was also catching on to the differences between quality crafts and clutter. Anybody can sell something, but not everybody makes art. Artists and quality craftsman are typically far outnumbered in those marketplace settings, which started to feel redundant to me, even lazy. I developed a taste for quality and found less crowded, more comfortable ways to obtain it (the internet).
In my mid 20s, I got a job representing an artist in the art market environment. I learned just how much quiet time the job entails. I learned that of 1,000 people who pass by your booth, less than 10% engage. Of that 10%, 75% want to feed on your light, 20% care about the work and maybe 5% spend money. Maybe 5%. I had time to contemplate the analytics of the art market business model. I studied branding, marketing, consumer engagement, profit margins and demographics.
I started considering the amount of time and energy exerted to load the car with art, commute to the event, unload at the event, set up the booth, engage with the people, break down the booth, load up the car again, drive home and unload….again. I didn’t like the math. Although the artist I represented was highly successful and making tons of money, I was paid hourly, so my takeaway, while more than fair, was far less.
I decided that “I’m not a vendor and I don’t do popups.”
HOWSOEVER………..
In recent weeks, I’ve been forced into reconsidering the visions I have for my life and who I see myself to be. Some of the stories I’ve chosen to identify with are being challenged. Are they still relevant? Are they slowing me down? I find myself instinctively saying “no” to things because they don’t match the identity I chose for myself five years ago. I have to listen for how things land on my heart, not on my identity. Does it fit into the present moment even though it contradicts the stories I’ve been telling myself? such as “I’m not a vendor and don’t do pop ups”?
On June 4th, I woke up to an invitation to set up a booth at a neighborhood festival. The booth was already paid for, I could use it however I wanted, and the festival was at a park within walking distance from where I’m living.
“I’m not ready”
Or am I?
My instinct wanted to decline the invitation because I didn’t feel “ready.” But I quickly realized I had a room full of ready-to-sell home furnishings that I’ve accumulated over the past 9 months in preparation for the launch of my online shop. I have artwork that’s complete and ready to display. I had everything I needed to set up the best booth in the park. All I had to do was show up.
I accepted the invitation and started the 2-day countdown to the festival. I decided which pieces I would bring and made a list of tasks I’d need to complete before the day of the fest.
A few things on the list include:
take inventory
price all products
print product labels
design and print business cards
make booth signage
set up merchant accounts
hair, nails and makeup - all which I do myself
I worked late into the night, continuously reminding myself that this was a last minute opportunity and that things didn’t have to be perfect. I accomplished everything on the list because I was reasonable about how much time I had, how long certain tasks would take and my physical and mental capacities leading up to the festival.
I drew a rough sketch of how I envisioned my booth layout so I wouldn’t have too much to think about on the fly. I packed my boxes and bags neatly so I’d know exactly where to locate each and every item I needed.
I woke up on the day of the event with enough time for a brief meditation, some stretching and breakfast before I had to load the car and head to the park.
Unloading was a mission.
Setting up the booth was a mission.
Maneuvering through the heat was a mission.
But as soon as I had my materials laid out before me, I was ready to kill it.
Before I was halfway set up, people showed interest. I made my first sale to a 9-year-old boy who had $20 to spend. He chose a miniature ceramic pitcher and later came back asking for a refund but that’s a different story for a different time.
Some people were drawn to my booth because they like home decor. Others just wanted to experience the world of Spatial Therapy, an energy I’ve been diligently refining for 4+ years. The safety of this energetic container allowed for shoppers to feel imaginative and explorative in my booth.
I’m pleased to say I profited from this experience in more ways than monetarily:
My artwork got to shine.
My curation made an impression on people.
I was deeply activated seeing the Spatial Therapy stamp on business cards, product labels, etc.
I feel more flexibility coming through the ways I structure my business as artist and decor dealer.
And of course, I put some money in my pocket.
Check out the before and after photos below. Subscribe to my email list to get updates about the latest in Spatial Therapy news and upcoming events.
Before
After
Thank you to all who showed love 💛
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