Preparations can mean a multitude of things, but quite simply it means “Getting ready to…”. We get ready for shopping, cleaning the house, to paint, to sew, to pull weeds, to pack for a trip, to pack for a show, the list can be endless. I’ve been preparing for The Multnomah Days Festival/Fair for a few weeks. And we are down to the last bits of preparation.
When one is getting ready, there are many things to be considered. It needs to be done on a couple levels - emotionally and physically.
Emotionally
What pieces do I include in my show? Do I want a theme or should it be the most current pieces? What kind of price points do I want to include? Do I really want to put this piece up for sale??? All of these questions have an emotional attachment to them. I think about what I was doing when I created it, how it viscerally made me feel, did I have a “Oh! Wow!”, Am I Ready to Let it Go? Talking to the public and trying to sound intelligent.
Physically
One has to gear up sometimes to meet with the public. In this time of COVID, there are also safety precautions to take - wear a mask, have sanitizer & gloves ready. Be ready to talk about specific pieces of art - What was my purpose? How did I decide to paint that particular piece? How do I infuse my work with the passion it shows?
The set up and take down of a show is physically demanding - tent, tables, display grids, artwork - make it appealing to the folk you want to entice.
Both
Lastly, the courage to put yourself out there. You are awesome in that you have done this. Art is personal and when you're in a public situation - take all of the comments as you get them. Enjoy the folks you come in contact with.