This show was AH-MAZING. I was utterly terrified, if I’m being honest. The fact that it was held at Elysium in downtown Austin until 2:00a.m. was the least of my worries, though. I knew going into it that I was approximately 2,815 steps outside of my comfort zone. This particular show felt LEGIT. It was an art SHOW – not just another vendor booth at a festival. This required a specific selection of pieces and title cards to accompany them, which was a fair bit different, and challenging it its own way.The Pancakes & Booze Art Show is held in various cities all throughout the US, and I just happened upon their information right after the call for art deadline passed. I took a leap of faith and submitted my application anyway and did not expect to be accepted. Imagine my surprise when they immediately responded that they love my work and think it would be a great addition to the show.
This experience was truly like no other. At first I was nervous and self-conscious, but the energy in this place was invigorating. Attendees took the time to really engage with the artists, and I had some lengthy, meaningful conversations about some of my pieces. My first customer of the night was so enthralled with a particular black, red and gold piece. We talked about it for several minutes and he continued to browse the show, checking out that piece each time he passed by. On the third pass, he said “Okay, I have to have it. Let’s do it. I can’t get it out of my head and I need to own it before someone else does.” It meant so much to see someone get excited about my work, but also to have multiple people be interested in the process and take time to ask questions and listen. I sold several pieces that night and made many invaluable connections with other artists and individuals.
Even if you’re uncomfortable at first, I urge everyone to take a leap of faith and just go with the flow. The results may surprise you.
