Soap Logo

As a rule, I'm not a wishy-washy person. Some decisions may take a bit more thought and mulling than others, but once I've made up my mind, I rarely look back. That having been said, I'm having a bit of a cold-feet panic attack over the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, which will take place in August. Link

My friend Jill pointed out their website to me. In an effort to promote Salem as a vibrant artistic community, they are soliciting local artisans to participate in the vendor's section of their festival. It is a juried fair and any local craftsperson is encouraged to apply. In a moment of uncharacteristic confidence I sent in my application with the requested 3 photos of my work. If I don't get accepted, fine; if I do, it will be a fun experience. Right???? That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.

Today I'm in panic-mode. What on earth ever made me think I could do this? I have no experience. I'm not good at packaging, display. I don't have a business. I'll be amongst professional artists and craftspeople who are seasoned at this. What was I thinking?

Ok, deep breath. I need to think about this logically. True, I don't have any experience. So what? How do I expect to get any if I don't just jump in? Yes, there will be people there who have done this many times before, but hopefully I'll be able to learn from them. Despite the fact that I'm a bit green on the business end of things I do have good people skills and know my craft. That has to count for something.

I'm sure this mood will pass and I'll once again be excited at the prospect of a new experience. My dear friend Mary, who has business experience, has offered to help me out the day of the fair, should I be accepted; my other goddess friends have also offered their support and creative ideas. I need to accept that my anxiety is just a part of the process- I can use it as a motivator and not be paralyzed by it. The worst that can happen is 1) I won't be approved by the jury or 2) I will be approved and will flop miserably- I won't sell even one bar of soap. When I look at it that way, even the worst isn't so bad. Time to get working on a label!