The beginning of a season is always terrifying- to me at least. There's the anticipation of the entire season ahead and all the profits it will bring, and the fear that it will come to an end too quickly without bringing in the profits needed. It's kind of a love/hate relationship in a sense. I look at my booth full of stock and a million things run through my head, some positive, some negative, some neutral. What if the stuff I ordered isn't the right stuff and doesn't sell? Or what if it sells so fast I can't keep my booth stocked? What if all the pieces I make are exactly what my customers want and are willing to pay good money for- how do I keep up with demand? And what if they are not and I invest all my time and energy into pieces that don't sell? What if this and what if that. Were all the decisions I made over the summer about this season the right ones, or am I going to find out in March that they were all wrong?
I made alot of investments into my business this year to prepare for this season. That's what business people do if they want to grow as a business. But there is always that voice in your head making you second guess yourself, putting the doubt in. There are the days spent setting up before the season kicks in when the streets are still dead and the town is like a ghost town that make you wonder why you are here. It takes alot of mental gymnastics to replace the current reality with memories of what the season is like once it is in full swing. I'm glad I already have two seasons under my belt here to be able to draw on for those memories.
And then there is the weather. Ah yes, battling the harshness of the desert in the winter. I got less accomplished today than normal because of the wind. Covering tables in fabric is easy, unless you are doing it in 25 mph winds. Tomorrow it will be nice, good for opening day. But then a storm comes in on Friday, and stuff I worked hard all week to put out will get stowed away in the safety of the trailer to wait out the storm. In and out, in and out, all winter long. Yes, I remember that too from seasons past. It won't be as bad once the initial set up is done and everything is organized and priced, but it still will be a process of in and out, in and out. At least I don't have to deal with a tent anymore. I gave those up years ago.
Anyway, I sell rocks, so all the rocks can stay out, even all the ones that have already been cut and polished. Rocks are kind of used to being out in the weather, after all. Fortunately, all I have to stow away is boxes of lapidary and prospecting stuff, and cases of jewelry, gold, and cabs. Easy enough. That is definately not as stressful as if I had a booth full of pottery or paintings. I have done many shows where I have watched the weather destroy tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of inventory in a few hours. Stuff like paintings or photography or glass work that can't be replaced because it has taken the artist decades to create that inventory. There are benefits to selling rocks.
And so I sit here this evening, the night before my opening day, and I look at my booth. It is still half empty, or half-full, depending on my perspective at that particular moment. I have another order to place, more rocks to put out, half finished jewelry to finish and put in cases, and pricing to do. I wonder if I will ever be ready- it seems like so much. And then when I am done, there is tweaking and rearranging to do. Then there are all the rocks sitting patiently, waiting for me to begin my winter studio time, cutting, polishing, and creating. The rocks are ready. That's good to know. But am I ready? And is Quartzsite ready for me? Let's hope so, because ready or not, for another season, here I am.
No comments:
Post a Comment