Craft Show Advice, Just In Time!

[Chris Campbell]

Here is a link to an excellent series of articles on surviving craft shows.

 

http://handmadelives.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/picking-craft-shows/

 

This lady consistently gives the best advice I have read for all aspects of an arts business, so read her other articles and sign up to receive them by email if you like them.

 

Dixie is from Britain ... her smart, confident advice applies everywhere.

[Norm Stuart]

Thanks.  She has a lot of business experience to offer.

 

I have some artistic talent but make very few pieces. I have a lot of business experience, but the idea of mixing art with business but the idea of combining these two talents seems very unappealing to me.

 

I think part of it is I have an emotional attachment to the pieces I do make, even if I didn't start with any emotional investment I end up with one. And the pieces I don't feel represent what I can do I'm willing to include in our studio sales only without my name on them.

 

My life experience has been being compensated too well for things I do which have not value to me, and not being compensate for things I do find valuable, like assisting my partner in running our studio or other work I find socially useful but provide no pay.  I thought I came to terms with that along time ago, but I'm still bemused by the way of the world.  How many of that portion of work I value, I wonder, would still feel valuable if I were to begin receiving compensation for them?   Would it become quickly feel like just another unredeeming way to make money?  After all, they call it work because without the compensation few would show up for it.