Making up for the last three days, November 21, 2010

I have been preparing for a craft show the last couple of days and have neglected my blog and my dress. What is for certain now that the craft show is over is that I am NOT a crafter. So I have compiled a list of reasons as to why I am an artist and not a crafter, which are two very distinct types but I will say not entirely mutually exclusive ( but in my case very exclusive.)

1. It takes a very open cheerful person to stand at a booth and sell your handmade art wares to people.
2. Crafters usually make things that are useful, aesthetically and technically beautiful or interesting.
3. Crafters don't have too much time to lollygag and look at one piece for hours wondering to themselves where do I go from here. No they produce and once successful in reproduction, they repeat again and again.
4. Crafters travel a lot from fair to fair to market to market...
5. Crafters if super successful are fantastic business people. Did I mention that they are also the face of their product? Whoa!

Ok so for me, sure I could be all of these things, but somehow I feel like what I do and have the patience for is so different. I totally admire my friends who are hand crafters. They are amazing and their products are amazing. I used to think I could do what they do, but After yesterday, I realize that I am not a crafter, not even an artist with a little bit of crafter in her.

I am an ARTIST.

I look at something get wrapped up in composition and juxtaposition and meaning. Super silly stuff to occupy ones self with regularly, but then I sit down and try to figure out how to make that inspirational moment tangible but also relevant to the experience. Artists are philosophers. They are not all business savvy, but the more successful ones usually are. I realize that I may be making some generalizations here and I must clarify that I am not intending to come off as saying artists are more superior to crafters. No I am just saying we are all fruit, but crafters are like apples and artists are like persimmons.

Going back to the craft show, I sold two pieces: a table cloth and a framed paper drawing. I made a whopping $35. Which meant I lost money when you factor in the cost for doing the show. Yet, I am not disappointed because ever person who passed by my booth stopped to talk with me about the dress I was wearing. In fact, I was able to do something way better than sell a hand crafted object, I verbally sold myself. I channeled my inner vaudeville maestro and told every Tom, Dick and Harriet about The Dress That Makes The Woman. I did what every artist does every time they exhibit, I put myself on display.

New thoughts about the dress- after washing tonight time for major work to be done, she deserves a little one on one attention. Photos soon to come.