YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

If you know me or my business (and if you don’t I hope you stick around to get to know me), artisan markets and fests are a big part of my business right now.

I create anything from HUGE macrame pieces for weddings and custom made installs, to macrame earrings (everyone’s favorite), to small charm bracelets (okay I outsource the charms but they are also a favorite).

This past weekend I was booked to be a vendor at a local music festival.  It was HOT and I have been working something else in my business and thought man, maybe this isn’t the best idea.  But if you also know me (or as you get to know me), I don’t like to back out of something I have committed to.

Let the anxiety begin.  

I got to the market a little later than I had hoped and did I say it was HOT.  It was already getting steamy.  

Let’s paint that picture for a moment.  Midwest summers and great because they are green, and you get the best of sunshine and rain.  Well you mix sunshine and rain you get humid! I would say they can get as hot and humid as Florida.  I suppose the difference here is you get breaks in that heat. Well and winter…. But let’s not go there.

I found my spot and realized I had to roll my stuff from my car parked in the lot through the grass to where I am to set up in a field.  

Now, I don’t have a brick and mortar so I tend to bring A LOT to markets to set up.  Walls, antique tables, crates, wood slices, and all sort of nick knacks to display my items.

By the time I was set up the music was already going and shoppers were admiring my goods.  But I, I was a sweaty hot mess and must have drank a few liters of water already.

I had amazing market neighbors as I almost always do!  That’s a whole other blog post of the amazing people you meet vendors and customers.  So while I was a hot, yucky mess I was in good company.

Somewhere in this I was reminded that we need to break EVERYTHING down, pack up and RE-set up tomorrow.  SAY WHAT?! I did read that but asked and thought it was ‘disclaimer’. BUT there was no one on site that night to ‘keep an eye’ on things AND it was scheduled to rain that night.

Oh man!  I already set in my head that I wasn’t coming back.  I was coming up with what excuse I would have that I couldn’t come back in the morning.  Flat tire, family emergency, heat exhaustion (this wasn’t actually true).  

So it came time to pack up.  I didn’t do well and thought… ‘there has GOT to be a better way’.  As much as I love markets …. This was not the business model I could keep going with.  

While I am working on some bigger plans, I had a nice chat with myself.  I also had a nice chat with my dear friend with Little Lotus Elixirs, Nina, who encouraged me to come back.  Sigh…. Because I adore her to bits and because I was too lazy and decided i WOULD leave my tent weighted down and some of the structural pieces.  I made up my mind I would come back the following day. One step at a time. Let’s get home…. And SHOWER!

I made it home.  I called ahead to have the shower clear and food on it’s way.  I stayed in the shower until food was ready and then passed out on the cold floor in my towel.

Sunday arrived.  Guess what?! It was HOT!!! AGAIN!!!  While weatherman gave false promises of it being ‘NOT AS HOT’ as the day prior.  Rest assured, he lied!

So we arrived, we unpacked, we were hot sweaty mess, and I made more in two hours than I did the whole day prior.  While Sunday proved to be financially and amazing day. IT proved something far more important.

First of all, I was reminded why I do the markets to begin with.  CONNECTION. Connection to follow vendors, discovering their creativity, and connection to the dear customers that stop by and say hi.  When someone buys something I created and puts it in their home or wears it my heart melts a little each time. I mean really, they are putting something that I created in THEIR home!  How cool is that.

Oh, did I mention the music?!  It was bluegrass festival and they had some of the best, award-winning musicians from all over.  Nashville, Kentucky, the Carolinas. It was FUN!

And lastly, you are stronger than you think you are.  While we need to be mindful of what we can handle and can’t handle, and give ourselves compassion along the way to whatever direction we go, realize that you are WAY stronger than you know.  You are STRONGER than you probably give yourself credit for.

So next time you are faced with something that you don’t want to do.  Or that you may find anxiety over stop, take a deep breath in, find who is there to support you.  Even if that is only yourself and think about what lives on the other side of your fear. It could be something amazing!  Even if it is that super feeling of accomplishment after that cold shower to peel back the layers of sweat, stink and yuck!  (really that’s how bad it was!)

If you’d like information about my dear friend Nina, you can find her here

If you’d like information on Frankfort Bluegrass Festival click here.