I may have bombarded everyone with merch photos to the point of madness, but here are some really adorable cats.
I didn't even get a lousy t-shirt! :D But, seriously folks, I was busy as heck. The ASUNM show I already talked about, and then Saturday, November 21st, I had another show at Bandelier Elementary School, the 2015 Bandelier Bazaar.
Many folks there I remembered well from last year, and I had a couple of repeat customers. (Just like at UNM!) It really does an artist's heart good to hear, "I remember you!" It was also my first show with a booth fronting on two walkways. I decided to go with a double-sided configuration, since I had the furniture to pull it off. This is something about these shows that I am learning I need to pre-plan for ... I might not know until I get there whether I have an end space (like at UNM), a corner spot (Cleveland Middle School), a double-sided space, or whatever. Which means I need to have several possible booth layouts on quickdraw! Same furniture, different configuration.
Interestingly, the city has a chart of fire marshall approved booth layouts, and that is what got me thinking about how -- in the heat of the setting-up-shop moment -- NOT thinking could be such a huge advantage! What is it I do when I unexpectedly have booth with 3 sides customers? OH RIGHT I ALREADY PLOTTED THIS OUT. Seriously, I need to help Future Me in these ways.
The show at Bandelier was fantastic. It was a bit of an ass-kicking, with vendors cruising around shopping in between waves of visiting customers. But there was a DJ spinning actual vinyl and even over an elementary school PA system, some tunes just help folks get groovy. It wasn't even holiday music! When I heard a Donovan song and Cat Stevens and others in that vein, I knew I was in the right place. Not because I like that stuff, but because I secretly like that stuff, and hearing it in a room full of others who maybe ALSO secretly like it forms a temporary bond of congeniality.
In other words: the atmosphere was not totally unlike some of the college parties I went to in the 90s.
Also, this year, I figured out that there were coffee and baked goods for the vendors, and I took good advantage of this. Especially because MOST of the day was spent hustling both sides of my booth. Much is being learned about good ways to run a booth, and ... less-good ways. Learning is, generally, a pain in the cortex, and this learning is not different. But it is GOOD STUFF, and I am looking forward to applying the lessons learned. Also, I continue to be amazed by the creativity, skill, and social grace of fellow vendors!
(Unrelatedly: Is there a feminization / neutral version of 'fellow'?)
It's 5pm on a Sunday after, the sun is nearly down, and I kind of feel like today has been a whole week of activity unto itself. Not in a bad way, but definitely in a tired way. More posts + photos to follow during the week, but in case you're taking yourself off the internet for the holiday: happy Thanksgiving! Try to really, actually focus on what you're grateful for. Maybe it sounds childish, but realistically, if you're reading this, your life is better that someone else's in a lot of ways. Just accept it!
Many folks there I remembered well from last year, and I had a couple of repeat customers. (Just like at UNM!) It really does an artist's heart good to hear, "I remember you!" It was also my first show with a booth fronting on two walkways. I decided to go with a double-sided configuration, since I had the furniture to pull it off. This is something about these shows that I am learning I need to pre-plan for ... I might not know until I get there whether I have an end space (like at UNM), a corner spot (Cleveland Middle School), a double-sided space, or whatever. Which means I need to have several possible booth layouts on quickdraw! Same furniture, different configuration.
Interestingly, the city has a chart of fire marshall approved booth layouts, and that is what got me thinking about how -- in the heat of the setting-up-shop moment -- NOT thinking could be such a huge advantage! What is it I do when I unexpectedly have booth with 3 sides customers? OH RIGHT I ALREADY PLOTTED THIS OUT. Seriously, I need to help Future Me in these ways.
The show at Bandelier was fantastic. It was a bit of an ass-kicking, with vendors cruising around shopping in between waves of visiting customers. But there was a DJ spinning actual vinyl and even over an elementary school PA system, some tunes just help folks get groovy. It wasn't even holiday music! When I heard a Donovan song and Cat Stevens and others in that vein, I knew I was in the right place. Not because I like that stuff, but because I secretly like that stuff, and hearing it in a room full of others who maybe ALSO secretly like it forms a temporary bond of congeniality.
In other words: the atmosphere was not totally unlike some of the college parties I went to in the 90s.
Also, this year, I figured out that there were coffee and baked goods for the vendors, and I took good advantage of this. Especially because MOST of the day was spent hustling both sides of my booth. Much is being learned about good ways to run a booth, and ... less-good ways. Learning is, generally, a pain in the cortex, and this learning is not different. But it is GOOD STUFF, and I am looking forward to applying the lessons learned. Also, I continue to be amazed by the creativity, skill, and social grace of fellow vendors!
(Unrelatedly: Is there a feminization / neutral version of 'fellow'?)
It's 5pm on a Sunday after, the sun is nearly down, and I kind of feel like today has been a whole week of activity unto itself. Not in a bad way, but definitely in a tired way. More posts + photos to follow during the week, but in case you're taking yourself off the internet for the holiday: happy Thanksgiving! Try to really, actually focus on what you're grateful for. Maybe it sounds childish, but realistically, if you're reading this, your life is better that someone else's in a lot of ways. Just accept it!
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