How to Recover from a Disappointing Art Market

Art events don’t always go as planned, but we always learn something from them. In this post, I’m sharing the story of a very rainy art market, the lessons I learned, and tips on how artists can use their creative resilience to focus on wins and new ideas for their next event. 

As artists, we can't help but aspire for big things. We want to share our work with the world, make authentic connections, and maybe even sell out! But the reality of art events doesn't always match up to the vision. 

I admit, I have participated in a number of disappointing art markets. Perhaps the most challenging event so far was a two-day outdoor art & garden festival where it was so rainy and windy, my tent almost blew over! We had to shut down three hours early due to the weather. 

Thankfully, I had an umbrella to put on my table to help protect my art. I also brought a hat and a book with me, which were useful during those quiet, wet hours where no one was really shopping. 

I commend those who put on raincoats and stayed anyway to listen to the garden talks and buy from food trucks. In the Pacific Northwest, we are used to wet weather, even in June. 

Despite that challenging experience, I feel strongly that as artists and creatives, it's important to try things! If an opportunity feels aligned with your interests, go for it! You don't know what is going to come from the experience, but surely there will be something to learn. Delving into the unknown helps cultivate resilience. It also reminds us there are some things we can't control (like the weather).

Disappointment and frustration are natural feelings when things don't go well, and it's important to acknowledge those feelings. However, I've found that the recovery comes from looking for the wins in the situation. 

For example, my wins at the art & garden event were connection based:

• I got to know another artist working at the market
• I appreciated the vendors who watched out for my tent when I stepped away
• I was thankful for the people who came by with questions and compliments about            my work
• I took some nice photos of my tent and the surrounding gardens
  
  

Here are some questions to help you identify your wins after a challenging event: 

• Did the event give you an opportunity to set up your display in a new way? 
  
  
• Did you learn a display tip from another vendor that you can use next time? 
  
  
• Did you take some good photos you can use for future applications? 

 

Connection

• Did you meet other vendors/artists?
  
  
• Did you see a friend/family member you might not have connected with otherwise?
  
  
• Did you get new subscribers for your email list? Events are a great time to encourage people to sign up.
  
  
• Did you have an interesting conversation with an attendee, even if they didn't buy anything? 

Information gathering

• Did the experience help better prepare you for your next event? 
  
  
• Did an attendee give you a suggestion you can use? (ie: a new material or size to experiment with?)
  
  
• Were people drawn to particular pieces of artwork? What did they like about your art?
  
  

Resilience

• Did the experience remind you to use positive self-talk in the face of adversity? (You can use this after the fact, too!)
  
  
• Did it remind you to better prepare for extreme weather? (heavier weights for your tent, raingear/a blanket/sunscreen?)
  
  
• Did it help you determine what types of events you would/would not like to do in the future?

Participating in art events is a great way to gather information from other people and make decisions about what's working and what is not working for you. It's more about fine tuning your event strategy than making huge adjustments, though. Each event and every year is different, so it takes time to get a sense of what works best for you.

Every experience showing your work takes you a bit further on your creative journey. There is always something to learn, and we are constantly evolving as creatives. Remember artists, we are in this for the long game. It's a marathon, not a sprint! 

I hope this post will help you take things in stride.

What wins have helped you at recent markets? 

Author: Katie Weaver

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