19 October 2011

transitioning

It was such a weird day.  Well let's just say the Atlanta Apparel Mart is not a good fit ... literally nothing really handmade, no artisan work of any kind ... at least we didn't see anything.  We left the house at 6:30 to head down there for what turned out to be a 3 1/2 hour drive - not so bad.  We tried 3 times through the morning and early afternoon to check into the motel, but no rooms were ready.  We ended up staying at the mart for about an hour and a half ... and that was a stretch.  There were some nice showrooms, but nothing for us and then there was way too much really scary stuff.  After bailing on the show, we thought we'd go to a museum that looked like walking distance - it wasn't there!  What up with that?  Back to the motel.  If we left the parking lot, we'd lose our parking space and have to wait until after the show closed at 6 to have any chance of parking.

So about 1:00 we decided to head to a section of town we remembered as having cool restaurants and shops.  It's been about 10 years since we were in Atlanta ... things have changed.  Lunch was okay, the once progressive, interesting shops are gone and the new ones were mostly geared towards the college crowd.  But I knew for sure, one favorite shop was still there - Mooncake.  If you want to see the kind of clothing they sell, it's kind of an east coast version of Kati Koos.  I wanted to see if it might be a good spot for my jewelry.  This is where the day turned around and what the Universe must have been trying to tell us all day ... go to Mooncake!  The owner was there, we chatted for a good while, she loves my work, we exchanged emails, plus I got some much needed feedback.

After that, we were done.  I called the motel and cancelled our reservation.  I called the housesitter, apologized profusely and said to pack up, we were coming home early.  We got home just before 8, exhausted, but confident we had accomplished our goal of finding a place for my jewelry.

That's the challenge, isn't it?  Creating work, designing and making and putting your heart and soul into pieces.  You get to a stopping point, gaze upon your creations and then have no idea if there's a market for this body of work.  I have to admit, it's happened to me more than once or twice, nobody gets it ... at least nobody I know or have access to.  I've spent the last month completely absorbed in my new collection.  I look at it now and there's many elements that are the same or similar to things I've been doing ... but for some reason, it just feels very different ... more raw, more true.  I've been exploring the envelope's edge, well, my edge.  I've slipped my toe out there - just a wee bit.  Getting such a positive response from a respected shop owner was a huge boost to my confidence.

So what's next?  Good question.

I've got the Etsy shop loaded up, but things have changed there as well ... I need to figure out how to raise the profile of my shop and get the work seen.  I'm sort of ... no, I am ... following my nose and my heart.  Just taking one step at a time, and staying open to opportunities ... saying yes a lot more than usual.  One thing, though - I'm hesitant to get any deeper into the world of steel metal clay until I see if this work sells.  I might change my mind.  I've got so many ideas for bigger, bolder, genuine envelope busting work.  Hmmm, as I write this, I can see that - yes, I do need to go further, get fully acquainted with that edge, push my boundaries.  I've got a good start, a delicious taste ... don't stop now.  Onward ...........

Here's a peek at a couple more pieces...

    
That's it for now ... brain freeze has set in.

l i g a - kvk

5 comments:

  1. I want to reach out and touch these pieces. They are very approachable and make me want to be with them. So some things just happen they way they are supposed to if you are present to see the opportunity. I am happy for you to find this new store connection!

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  2. I know exactly what you're talking about, Kathy! You put your heart and soul into something because it just needs to be made. Then whe you're done you step back and hope that others will like it as much as you do. I can't tell you how many times I've put something out there with great expectations. Sometimes it's a hit, sometimes a miss and it sits there and never sells. I chalk it all up to "live and learn".... and I move on and come up with the next great idea.

    I'm so glad you found an outlet in Atlanta. I hope it's a great success for you.

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  3. Ah,Kathy, things do happen for a reason, don't they, altho it may take a while to realize it. But you did, and I'm really happy it all worked out for you. Your work really is marvelous.
    vickie in kc

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  4. Everything looks beautiful! Glad you found a place. I completely understand. Someday i too hope to find a good fit. But until then I forge ahead making because it is what I do.
    Thank you for sharing.

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  5. Thanks everyone! I am so fortunate that I have such wonderful outlets for my work, my production line as well as my one-offs. It's always a scary process to head off in a new direction, but always a positive learning experience.

    As artists, we've got to keep moving forward, exploring new realms ... cause for celebration, no? Here's to persevering!

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