What I Learned at My First Market!

Hello there! I have some exciting news! I went and was a vendor at my first creative market! And now I want to tell you what I learned from the experience!

Before I tell you about what I learned I should tell you about the event itself! I had a fun time being a vendor alongside my mom during mother's day weekend! My mom is a more experienced businesswoman than I, so she and I did this as a way for her to teach me about selling my work at markets. I found it to be both a wonderful way to connect with my mom but also fellow creatives!

The first thing I learned is you must have patience. You get a lot of free time in between people coming to your table and not everyone who does will buy something. And that's ok. But it means that our work sparks interest which is an important part of this process. It's also just an important part of trying to sell your work whether online or in person.

I also had to have patience while waiting for my potential customers. Which at times was difficult because I would be getting tired or antsy and just want to move and get around. But I filled my time with chatting to my talented mother as she crocheted and I worked on knotting bracelets. We snacked and got smoothies. We ventured around to see other creatives at their booths! I got to connect not only with others but also with my mom and myself. And though I do have some patience in life I generally swing on the more impatient part of the scale. So this was a great exercise in patience.

I also learned that what ends up being your best seller will surprise you. With me I brought crochet headbands, crochet eggs and baskets, and friendship bracelets. And though we went in May, my crochet eggs that I made for Easter ended up being my best seller that day! I brought them just for fun since I am really proud of them and I am so glad I did!

The last thing I want to share about what I learned at my first market was that everyone is so nice! I work as a cashier in my day job and people can forget how to be nice and can be difficult to work with. But everyone who I met whether other vendors, customers, or passerbyers were so nice and enjoyable to interact with!

I really enjoyed this experience and I am so excited for my next market which will be later this month! My mom and I are signed up for a couple markets this summer and I am looking forward to them! I am also excited to keep you updated on my experiences and what I learn along the way!

You can also keep up with my other art adventures over on my Instagram @annmarie.barreiro.art or by clicking on the icon down below!

Have a great day!

-AnnMarie