Pavinee Sripaisal – aka MerryDay – from Bangkok draws colorful and cheerful illustrations every day. This month she tells Flow about the workshops she gives.
This is my final guest post for Flow and I would like to conclude the story of my creative journey since the start of draw everyday project with my experience at a craft fair.
If you read my posts from the beginning, You may have learned by now that I am quite an introvert person who needs a lot of effort to push oneself out of comfort zone. The idea of going to an art fair and meeting new people had always made me anxious but the confidence I gained from having a workshop convinced me that maybe I could do it. So, when I saw an advertisement for a craft fair, I immediately reserved a spot.
I started my Etsy shop selling stationery design with limited knowledge of the business. It took me a while to learn that stationery design and illustration art in general was about feelings and connections. My art should touch viewer’s mind and bring out action. I will not know how my art affects others if I won’t try going out and interact with them. So, I calmed my nerves, took a deep breath and stepped out of my comfort zone.
It was a fine day at the craft fair which was held at a lovely garden lifestyle mall. My neighbor sellers were nice and happy with their craft products. I got my first sale right away even when my place wasn’t completely organized. That heartened my spirit and I forgot my nervousness. The day would be a merry day.
It was truly a merry day. I got more sales than I had expected. The most valuable thing is that I had a chance to see how people connected with my art, how they thought of them and how they chose some items over another. These would be guidelines for my design improvement. That day I came back home with an extra order and heart full of fulfillment and enthusiasm.
Making a living as an artist is all about confidence and consistency. You cannot make it if you don’t have confidence in yourself and your art and you will not have great art if you don’t practice everyday. I have gone through several stages of disappointment and self-doubt but at the end of each day, I’m still eager to make more art. As long as you believe you cannot live without making art, you just have to find a tool to push yourself to move forward. My tool is draw everyday project, what’s yours?
Thank you so much for reading and thank you Flow magazine for having me here. I wish you all have a merry day everyday!
Pavinee
