Validation

(All of the images are of other folks work from either the Painted Pony Craft Fair or the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Coop Holiday Fair. See if you can figure out what was featured where. The jam was jalapeno and strawberry, the best thing at either fair.)

I participated in two local crafts fairs this month. One in Jamul, CA and another in the community of Ocean Beach in San Diego.

The fairs were much like I find the crafts marketing sites on the internets. An uneven mishmosh of stuff. A few fine craftspeople, a lot of just getting started handcrafters and do it your selfers, food vendors, community projects, some interesting recycled and organic products.

What was validating about this process?

Many years ago, when I was just getting started as a surface textile designer, I did one Renaissance Fair, where I made very little money and spent what little money I did make on some utterly delicious shish kebabs. The next fair I did was the 57th Street Art Fair in the Hyde Park Community in Chicago. The 57th Street Art Fair is juried and one of the most prestigious in the country. I really never looked back after participating in the 57th Street Art Fair. It was golden on my resume and led to many sterling opportunities.

Kick starting my return to my career after an absence of many years, I wanted to explore the local art scene and develop my local mailing list. So I selected two events to participate in. The Painted Pony fair in Jamul because it supports arts for school children and has raised an enormous amount of money to fill the gap caused by a lack of funding for arts programs in public schools.

Ocean Beach, because I am a member of this organic food coop, support and believe in it's goals and the good food it provides to my community.

The fairs were fun, I met interesting folks, and the weather was just beautiful. Jamul is located in a breathtakingly beautiful area of San Diego County and Ocean Beach is a world unto its self. The people watching and over heard conversations in OB are well worth the price of admission.

Before the fairs, I made a career decision. This short production phase had served it's purpose. But I am not interested in being an art production slave. So I decided to focus in on a single product - silk pillow covers. The designs for the fabric will be produced using a combination of hand and digital textile processes, then off to China for printing and construction and voila! two weeks later I have a marketable product.

This product was important because I need an income to support the art that I'm really interested in creating. Museum quality story quilts.

Now the validation that this was the correct decision came by participating in these little craft shows. Please save me from ever having to meet, greet, and sell at another out door event, with a bunch of kids, strolling musicians, food booths and whatever entertainment is provided for those seeking a day outdoors, with some art and some craft thrown in for good measure.

So today, the Sunday after the last craft fair ever, my good decision is validated and I am at peace. Tomorrow I begin cleaning my house from top to bottom, working in my sadly neglected garden, playing with Bella the dog, spending two hours a day on marketing and six hours being creative. Thank God, in this Thanksgiving week, I'm back.