When I first began selling my art, I was really excited and searched out different markets and bazaars all over my valley to sell at. I went to different places and met many different people, and enjoyed the time I spent associating with others. But I didn’t make a ton of sales in the early years and sometimes that was discouraging.

As the price of gas went up and my kids got more involved in school sports and activities, as well as my husband’s work continued to be busy, I backed away from anything that wasn’t really local because it wasn’t cost effective at the time, and I felt like my time was better spent elsewhere.

I continued to paint and to make my art into fun products and reach out to the world in different ways. I started my YouTube channel and opened an Etsy shop. I also learned more about marketing and enjoyed just doing my thing here in Willow.

Recently I was told of a couple new markets, not in the heart of Willow, but not far away. I decided to try one on Thursday. It’s at a lodge called the Sheep Creek Lodge. It’s right on the highway so very visible, and the lodge is there serving food and they have cabins for guests. It was the first one, so it was kind of slow number wise, but I did make sales, and I got to visit with some new vendors I’d never met before.

I decided it was a good use of my time that day, and I enjoyed the time there. It wasn’t hugely profitable yet, but that comes with time, patience, and the growth of any market.

I also have had an idea for my website that I will be sharing in the future as I get it developed. I started off the year setting a goal to learn how to create a website from code, but quickly decided that wasn’t what I wanted to spend my time doing. I did learn quite a bit though.

I then moved on to a new platform to create a new presence with a new theme. The platform changed their site building tools halfway through my designing, and I struggled with the changes and the sudden inability to do what I wanted to do with the site.

So changes are coming again to this website. I am hoping to be able to use the tools here to create what I’m wanting to create. I am starting from a more knowledgeable base this time around, and I have a more clear goal and expectation of what it is I’m wanted to accomplish. I am excited for the changes I will be making!