No More Sip and Paints

“Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.” I saw this canvas in Home Goods when I first opened The Art of a Savage. It was exactly how I was feeling. I was stepping out on my own. If it didn’t work it would be on all on me, but something in me was saying i had to do it. I bought the canvas and hung it above my styling station as a constant reminder that we have to always at least try.

When I first started painting I was thinking of different ways to start an art business. I thought about what would people buy, what people would pay for and what types of things I should offer as an artist. The first year I tried selling art as a vendor once at a Pop Up Shop event and once at a music festival. Sip and Paint parties were starting to become popular so I tried my hand at that as well.

Being a vendor at events was a good experience, and I felt I got some pretty good exposure but mostly a lot of valuable lessons. The first event was a Pop Up Shop in Washington, D.C. My table was partially inside while part of my space was outside. The Art of a Savage was a focal and I was excited because my art was the first thing everyone saw as they walked in. It was a chilly and windy day, so the canvas paintings that were outside kept blowing away and we had to keep chasing them down the sidewalk. Though my paintings kept blowing all over the place, I did manage to sell my first painting to a complete stranger at the event. She walked right up to the same painting my sister had been admiring and asked the price. I told her the price and she said she would take it. I wrapped it up and that was it. For someone to see beauty in something i made and it be someone that knows nothing about me was a priceless feeling. I also had a lot of T Shirt and button sales and lots of family and friends came out to support me. I did not make a profit after it was all said and done because of the costs but it was a great experience.

The Second event was a Gospel Music Festival in Virginia. There were lots of people but I was not as prepared as i would have liked to have been. It was a much bigger event and my tent was so empty compared to the Pop Up Shop. I also forgot the table cloths. I had the same merchandise I had at my table at the first event but because it was so spread out in a much bigger space it seemed like I didn’t have much of anything. That may be one of the reasons i did not get a lot of traffic to my tent. On top of the lack of visitors at The Art of a Savage tent it poured down raining not once, BUT TWICE. We ended up being soaked from head to toe. After the second down pour started we packed up everything in the pouring rain and left. Not to mention, two of my paintings were ruined by the wind and rain.

That same year, I organized and hosted a Sip and Paint, which was to be one of a series. The Sip and Paint turned out well. It was actually better than I had imagined. We sold out and I still had people calling trying to get a spot. There was a food buffet, DJ, and a bar with wine and two signature drinks. It was in all honesty a great turn out when I think about it. The success of the sip and paint made me want to go in that direction with The Art of a Savage. I started promoting and planning for my next ones. They were all pretty much a success and I even booked a few private paint parties, but the more I did them the more I felt detached from them. I was not feeling fulfilled. I did not feel like I was making any changes or making an impact. I felt like I was just following a trend. I did not feel like I was truly following my passion. The last sip and paint I had was called Meditate and Paint. It was my shot at having a paint party with a deeper purpose and giving back. I had a therapist come in and talk about stress and mental health. Following her was a meditation specialist who explained meditation and its benefits. She also lead the group in a brief meditation. Lastly, we all painted pictures as a calming and relaxing exercise. I received really good feedback but after it was over I still felt withdrawn. I had to accept even though I had invested money and time into starting up Sip and Paints, I really was not living in my purpose and what I am suppose to be doing with my gift.

As I said before, The Art of a Savage is a journey. I am no longer doing sip and paints because I have to follow my journey and find my purpose. I have to do something that is fulfilling and not just for the sake of profit or trend. Since the last two vending events i have been a vendor at other festivals and the results were much better because of what i learned from the previous events. . What I am finding in this journey is that we have to trust the process and what we are feeling. What I am also realizing is everything that we go through; every decision we make prepares us for what is next. If we don’t step out of our comfort zone, if we don’t try, we will not get to the next step. I have ANXIETY every time I decide to do something that I feel may be over my head or that I cannot foresee the outcome, but I just think “I have to at least try.” My best friend always says “Nothing beats a failure but a try” and those are definitely words I try to live by. Since we are all on this journey together, start putting that business plan together, apply for that job, purchase that house, start that website, do what ever it is that you have been putting off because of fear of failing. “Don’t be a afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.”