The anxiety of planning a craft sale

You know, after seriously attending and selling at craft sales for  a couple years now, I still get nervous and doubtful every time. It doesn't matter the size, location or theme of the market. You want the best possible  outcome of the day (or weekend) and most of the time it doesn't work out that way but I am sure as hell going to try to get as close as I can.

Sometimes I wonder if the amount of stress I put myself through before the big day is worth it. The amount of planning, creating, marketing and running around seems endless. I make lists and lists and lists and it seems when I cross something off, I add another handful of things. But on the day of, a couple hours in after the initial anxiety has worn off and the festivities are well under way, I am able to sit back, relax and enjoy selling my handmade creation to people that are genuinely interested in what I do. The feeling is like none other.

A lot of people don't understand it. Why put myself and the loved ones around me, through so much unwanted stress for little pay off? Most of the time I am asking myself the same thing. Most of the time I don't even brake even. But It all becomes worth it when I get to describe the little details of my etching process to a curious buyer, or when a handmade display finally comes together and does what I want or when I have a returning customer seeking me out for this years gifts. Things like that don't come easy to artists/ crafters. Talking in person, to numerous people that want to buy your creations, mostly only happen at craft sales. Online sales, wholesale purchases, space rental, they're not the same.

There are so many ingredients that make a good craft sale. Most people don't know the factors that go into having a presentable display for you to enjoy. A crafter has to think about transportation, lighting, inventory, quality, display, presentation, pricing, marketing, taxes, records, and packaging, just to name a few. The bigger the sale, the bigger the planning process but hopefully also the bigger payout.

I have the biggest sale of my short career coming up this weekend and I am not sure I am ready. In fact I know I am not ready but I also know I am going to learn a whole lot of invaluable information in the next couple of days. All I can do is try my best with the knowledge and resources I have, learn as much as I can and be bigger and better next year.

So here is to having the courage to push through the mental barriers of anxiety, doubt and worry. To seeing the wall in front of you and finding away to scale it and getting to the other side. Life only moves forward when you learn, grow and change. When you feel times get tough, don't curl up and hide away, hold your head up high, keep your eyes and ears open, and GROW.