Is everyone hanging out without me?: holiday edition
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, my stuffing to body ratio has returned to normal levels, and it’s now socially acceptable to google “how many wreaths are too many wreaths?”, I find myself constantly fighting to stay in the present in the midst of an insane holiday maker season.
The “should’s” of the holiday season only get more overwhelming as time seems to speed up, tending to leave a burned out artist or maker in it’s wake when all is said and done. But why do we do it this way? Where are these other makers finding the time and energy to make everything they do, find all of the markets I don’t, and also find time to post beautifully, authentically and consistently on social media while regularly showered and NOT crying? Who are these unicorns and where are they getting their shit together without me?
The thing they don’t tell you about being an artist or a maker before you sign up for the full-time or part-time lifestyle is that the holidays are GO time.
This time of year is the biggest potential for selling your art, so as someone who makes art that I would love to sell, I find that I get lost in the sea of “I’m missing out” more and more often as the holidays descend.
Living near such an artistic community like I do, there’s a bunch of holiday markets, christmas tree lightings, and pop ups that are constantly happening in the local area which is great for a part-time artist like me who loves selling at in-person shindigs.
The downside is that there’s a lot of ways to “do it right” but the chances of me recognizing that as something I’ve accomplished is pretty near zero.
Something I constantly find myself fighting is the comparison game, especially this time of year. It’s so easy to get lost in the “do it all” spiral, in my art bubble and in my home life. Especially with social media, I’m constantly forgetting the highlight reel that someone else’s beautiful well-planned instagram account provides. Sure, they’re showing a piece of their life but not all day every day of their life. You see a lot of ups and minimal downs, which is easy to take personally when you’re feeling low or not enough in your own life.
Slowly but surely I’ve started taking baby steps towards letting go of these highlight reels I’ve started to take as everyone else’s standard operating procedure.
Instead of applying for every market, I applied to a couple that I really love. Instead of making a million things that people might buy, I make what feels good and gives me life. Instead of coming home after a long day of work and hustling through the night to work on art, I come home and take my dogs to the river, then choose one thing to check off for the day.
Ultimately, what works for you will always work for you, but in case you’re in the depths of the holiday chaos with me (whether as a fellow artist/maker or just an overwhelmed being trying to make it through the holidays), I see you.
You deserve whatever quiet moment you crave.
And if you can, try not to lose yourself in finally being granted entrance to the unicorn club because I’ve asked Jeeves and it doesn’t exist, only you in your authentic messy glory exist.
And if that’s not holiday magic I don’t know what is.
My recent booth setup at the Hamilton Christmas Stroll the day after Thanksgiving.
