On Sunday I visited the Firefly Handmade Market to peruse the arts and crafts for sale. I always love attending art fairs and markets for a couple reasons.
I would like to sell my art at one of these markets someday. I like to see the different ways people present their work and approach the public. I take note of what makes me want to enter a booth, and how my interactions with people affect my desire to purchase their goods.
Along the same lines as point one I love collecting business cards. Right now there are lots of really cool business cards. They come in all different shapes and sizes. This time around I saw square cards, round cards, two-sided, one-sided, and so on. A good font on a business card can make a huge difference
I want to support local artists. Although I didn’t buy anything this time around I do want to be a patron of the arts. I made a treasury list on Etsy of artists I saw that I may go back and buy christmas presents from. Or when I have a home again I may buy some pieces for my home. Check out my treasury list here.
I get to meet other artists. Workshops, possible collaborators, interesting conversations are all over the place at these fairs. I met one woman who made the coolest hats and hopefully we will collaborate in the future. Fantastic!
They generate ideas. Art shouldn’t be created in a vacuum. Sometimes I see things and think to myself, “I want to do that too!” Other times I see trends that I want to explore. As you will see in my treasury list birds are the coolest thing on the block right now. Not sure if that would mean jumping on the bandwagon or breaking out and doing something really different. Either way it got my creative gears moving.
I plan to go back to the winter market to see more vendors, generate more ideas, buy presents, support local artists, and meet new people.
