Artist Market / Artist Alley Blog: 2024 Spring Daze Arts+Craft Festival Recap

Apr 28

This might have been the hardest show to prepare myself for. I felt like art block had me in a chokehold for months. There were so many things that I wanted to create starting off this year, but I felt deflated every time I picked up my stylus. Every day was a new excuse to not draw. I was racing against a deadline that was created due to my neglect and procrastination. Fortunately, I managed to finish some new art just in time for the show, but I didn’t feel like I showcased my all. I told myself that the goal of this year is growth.

This festival came at the right time to organize my thoughts. I finally understood the reason behind my art block, it was fear and anxiety. Art is no longer just a hobby that I do from time to time. I don’t want to think of it as a business, because I feel that robs the feeling of creativity. I feel that the middle ground is treating it as a craft, the technique and creativity comes first, then business comes after. In order to treat these as a craft, I can’t rob myself of the time that I need to put in to become better at this. That is where the feel lies. As a hobby, I just messed around and shared my art, and was shocked that I few people liked it. I couldn’t believe that people wanted to buy my art. I’ve been scared deep down, and that fear kept me in a sunken place until yesterday.

This event helped me put things back into perspective, and look internally at where I have been these past months. I was actually contemplated cancelling the morning of. The fear felt like an anchor pulling me down further and further as I was on my way to the show. Once I was there, that fear was replace with a feeling of home. I felt like this is where I needed to be or come back to. It felt familiar, but different since this was my first time here. My feet were kicked up, and I was taking it all in. Just a simple table in a 10x10 tent, I felt like I was away for so long, memories from different shows filled the four corners. Being in the park, the smell from the food trucks, the live music, and all the attendees walking by I remember what peace felt like. The anxiety and fear was removed. Every excuse from the past months as to why I couldn’t turned into ‘Why not?’.

From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful for my time at Spring Daze.

One Love,

I am Charles Williams