It’s been awhile since my kids were in elementary school and even longer since I planned what I would bring for ‘Show and Tell’ (I’ll never live down the ballet dance performance in front of my second grade class in my pink tutu). I’m not even sure if Show and Tell still exists. I thought about it this past weekend in correlation to a private sale at the home of a long-time – since elementary school – friend. I realize that some of the skills I learned as a child to talk about or demonstrate something I love in front of my peers were the building blocks I use when putting on a showcase and sale of my creations to this day.
A lot of preparation and heavy lifting go into creating a display for a show including: choosing, packing, unpacking and repacking the clay; loading and unloading and reloading the car to travel to and from a show; and setting up and knocking down the display.
Art is often created in private in a studio setting. The thought, preparation and hard work to achieve a finished product are a given. The next step – getting the art out in public with an ultimate financial transaction – that can be the trickiest part. One of the ways I accomplish this is through private home sales. These can be targeted to people familiar with my creations and an opportunity to reach a broader group in their circle. This intimate setting allows me to interact with a new group of people, showcase my creations in person and talk about my process, inspirations and ideas. It’s that personal connection that often leads to a sale or some sort of future opportunity. While the money is nice and important, I’ve also found the conversation and personal encounter to be equally beneficial. Once people meet me and see my clay art, the likelihood they will make a future purchase or refer me to one of their friends is strong.
I brought many of my garden creations to this particular show. Many of the invitees belong to a local garden club.
It was a great show this past weekend. I spent time and reconnected with loving friends, got to nibble all day long on some great food, met some amazing new people, showed off and talked about my clay art and made some money to boot. What I learned from Show and Tell in second grade has stayed with me. Even though it can be scary to get up and share what you love most in the world – and your peers may not even share that passion – it’s important to put yourself out there because the connections you do make can last a lifetime.