My First Artist Alley

 Hi! I am writing again to share my first-time experience in joining the Artist Alley. I participated as one of the exhibitors in the 2nd Davao Pop Culture Mania held in La Herencia Davao Art Events Pavillion. Well, the event happened a few months ago so this blog is a bit late. Nevertheless, it is better to be late than never, right? So here it goes..

Davao Pop Culture Mania was an event to celebrate the art & love of toys, collectibles, gaming, anime, manga, and cosplay. It was powered by Davao Art Kollective and Alter-Moderne Events  which was a month-long experience for crafters and fans for all ages. From the phrase itself "Pop Culture", it promotes creativity and positive engagement among the youth and young at heart. This year's event was held for three consecutive weeks, dedicated for these following highlights: 

Week 1: Toys, Hobbies, Collectibles

Week 2:  Arcade, Card, and E-Sports

Week 3: Cosplay, Anime, and Manga

Having brand as an artist, I decided to join but I chose the 3rd week because of the time needed to prepare for my products. Also, I had a full-time job, so it was a challenge for me to search for printing companies and manufacturers. I also planned to sell anime-related artworks but again, it took me so long to have them printed so it really was a challenge for my schedule to start from scratch.

 

 

I was so excited just by thinking about the setup of my table. Some factors that I considered are:

1. Color scheme 

 I want the brand to be consistent as much as possible, so whenever I make art I use the same palette or color scheme. And I guess, my audience noticed it too!

2. Genre

Usually I am inspired with nature, and gastronomical art. As a Sagittarius person who loves backpacking, I enjoy beautiful places, cuisines, and culture so much!

3. Art Medium

 Most of the products displayed in my artist alley were handpainted with watercolors. Some items were also sketched digitally.

4. Time

 I made sure that the products can be finished within the given time as possible.

5. Budget

 It was my first time and my brand was not popular, so I decided NOT to spend so much on displaying equipment and inventory. 

                                                                 

 My Artist Alley

In the day of ingress, I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I didn't know anybody tbh and I only engaged with some artists online. Moreover, what if no one wants to buy on my display or no one likes my art?  What will happen to my expenses after the event? Those were the questions that pondered inside my head.

Fast forward, the event inside the venue was so amazing, I mean, my fellow artists/exhibitors were so creative. I liked how the artist alleys  were organized. Even the music and the anime cosplayers brought the Pop Culture vibe! I was so excited to start the day.

                                     

Ongoing activity inside the function hall

However, the experience was not perfect at all. The first day was tough for me because the passerby only stared at my products but they didn't bother to purchase at all. In fact, only two art prints were sold that day. Lol. But in the second day, it seemed that people started to notice the uniqueness of my art and most of them bought my food illustration prints. It felt better that I was finally able to make sales. Same with the third day, people mostly buy my art prints than the button pins, stickers and notepads. I felt so relieved when people said nice things and appreciate my paintings. Some variations of my gastronomical art prints and even the largest prints were sold out! I was over the moon! They really asked if I was the one who made those illustrations or paintings and I said yes. Someone even cheered me up & encouraged me to join painting exhibits or join groups of painters in Davao.

Frappe date with my mom & sibling after the Egression

At the end of the day, i always took time to rest. Just like other small businesses, selling in artist alley can be overwhelming and exhausting too. But during night calls, my boyfriend would always remind me to just enjoy the experience and not be too hard on myself when it comes to sales and marketing. Well, I guess there is always a stigma about artists that they don't make so much money, right? Not only that, i needed to take note of my expenses in transportation, meals and accommodation at that time since i came from a different Province.

I believe that "Experience is the Best Teacher". 

Did I learn something from this experience?  Of course! :D

1. I learned that, sometimes, people just take a look at your products and think about it first before buying.

2. It is important to be friendly too, no matter how shy or introverted you are. It's okay to take it one step at a time. Even making a smile can help.

3. Think about your target market. Think about the theme of the event. As someone who loves to draw anything I want, I learned it the hard way. XD

4. Don't forget to bring smaller bills or coins. I was stressed when  I ran out of coins lol.

5. Understand that you need to build your skills, & audience first before expecting high income. I was not a popular artist so I needed to build it organically. I always gave them my business card after packing their purchase.

6. Creative industry is project-based, unlike corporate world where promotion is linear. So there is an ADVANTAGE if you keep on creating whatever you can, wherever you can, whenever you can. 

I'm pretty sure that these lessons will help me to be confident for the next Artist Alley. :)

                                               

      "One of a Kind" (2023)

In the end, I felt so happy that I participated despite the imperfections of my experience as an exhibitor. It took me some time and of course, money, to make this happen. In fact, I wanted to do it again and be better the second time around. I know that creative industry is not easy but...I will never give up! 

I hope this made you learn something or inspired a bit. Thanks for reading.

See you again on my next blog. :)