Art and Creativity Journal: Only a Month to Go!
Published on HivePostify by @alchemystones · Mon Aug 31 2026
It always surprises me just how fast time moves on by!
I'm certain the experience is different for full-time artists who are only focused on their creative endeavors, but as a definite "sometimer" I invariably end up having to face the factthat I don't have nearly the time I need... to get prepared from pretty much anything.
Now there's only slightly less than a month (4 weeks, to be precise) to go until our first fall vending event... and I have already reached "that point" where I have to decide which things will be ready and which things I am going to "let slide" till some other time.
I suppose I should be grateful that I have any time at all to give to this...
One of the complications of our next event is that it is an outdoor venue, and we've decided that we'd be best served by taking a "recon trip" to the location, just to see what we're working with.
Are we going to be on concrete slab? Or on bare dirt? Grass? Will it be flat, or will it be "lumpy?" These are all factors that play into how and what we pack.
Shot from the last outdoor event we were part of
Outdoor events are always more work because we have to carry extra gear and supplies... including the tent, weights to secure the tent, portable electricity and more.
At least the electrics are somewhat easier these days, thanks to low consumption LED lighting and improved battery technology.
The event is tecnically speaking billed as a "mini Renaissance Faire," which typically means fairly large crowds and (likely) many small sales. Accordingly, I have been putting a lot of my painting efforts into "cute little stuff."
It's time consuming and not particularly inspiring to create, but it helps pay the bills.
I'm not sure exactly why, but outdoor events invariably also result in a greater degree of loss due to theft.
Yes, people steal from small time artists at events, even though there is absolutely no aftermarket for what they are taking. It's just part of the gig, and you just have to more or less "go with it," as a necessary evil.
Of course, I have no idea what this year's "season" will look like... if the broader economy is anything to go by, it's unlikely to be much of anything. Buying painted rocks is not exactly a high priority if you're struggling to pay for the food on your table!
Still, I try to be cautiously hopeful.
One of the high priority tasks still ahead is to make a better display for our "wearables," which invariably end up being overlooked at events because we don't have a great way to show them off.
I'm thinking about attaching some non-galvanized hardware cloth to a large picture frame, so we can hand the necklaces from small hooks, so they are easily accessible and touchable... while remaining somewhat tricky to remove (see aforementioned note about theft) and maybe that will help. The frames would be easy to hang from the frame of the tent.. so that seems like a workable solution... and not too much work.
Which reminds me of yet another small thing to add to my to-do list... order more jewelry gift boxes. Presentation really matters... a point many artists and crafters overlook, and at least one way I am grateful for my retail background!
Anyway, there is still much work to be done... which I hopefully will also find a little time to share in posts, here. It's nice to have a "journal" of some kind to refer back to, from some future date!
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2026.08.30 AS-TXT-403/373
Tags: #art#creativity#artjournal#archon#photography#shows#events#creativecoin#proofofbrain#cent