The journey towards my first ever market event.

Starting my journey and pursuing my dream of selling my art has so far been one of the most exciting, stress/anxiety inducing and unexpectedly rewarding experiences of my life. I've always wanted to create and make things that felt personal to me and that others will enjoy, but turning that into something I could share publicly felt like a completely different challenge. ✨

Honestly, it's been a wild ride since I studied my Bachelor of Creative Arts and Design (Graphic Design) back in 2019 and it's taken me a long time to find my passion for creation again, but I also wouldn't change a thing I've done over the years either!

What started out as just a small increase in drawing and creating slowly grew into something much bigger, I was building up small amounts of stock, refining ideas, and learning how to turn my art into something ready to share with others.

Along the way, I’ve had to push myself to draw a lot more then I ever have in a long time, figure out logistics, plan how to present everything, and develop my display and branding so it feels cohesive and true to me as an artist.

Now, seeing it all finally come together in one place feels super rewarding and gives me lil warm fuzzies, like all the small steps have been quietly building toward this moment. Mind you, I am no where near 100% happy or an expert - this is only just the baby steps towards something much bigger. 💖

Fast forward and my first ever market event has been a huge milestone achievement - but not one I stepped into confidently. In the weeks leading up to it, I was constantly questioning myself. Was my art good enough? Would anyone even stop by my table? What if I put my stuff out there and nothing came of it? Those doubts showed up consistently for me and there were moments I seriously considered pulling back and waiting until I 'felt ready'.

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But readiness, I’ve learned, doesn’t really arrive in the ways you expect it to. Honestly, at some point, I just had to decide to go for it anyway and accept that what would be - would be.

Setting up on the day of the market, my nerves were all over the place. My intrusive thoughts were running a mile a minute as I arranged my setup, trying to make everything look right while also trying not to overthink every detail. When people stated to arrive at the markets, watching people walk past my stall felt intimidating at first - I wasn’t sure if anyone would even slow down and stop to look at my stuff.

But then someone did. My first ever sale was to a lovely young person who was a Final Fantasy and Studio Ghibli fan, we talked about the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake and Moogles and then she bought some of my stickers - she even thanked me for being at the market and mentioned how cool it was to see this type of art at the event.

From there people did stop. They looked. They asked questions and gave me compliments on my art. Some even connected with my work in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I had wonderful conversations that helped the doubt I was carrying feel a little lighter.

By the end of the day, I had not only made sales, but something even more valuable, I received the encouragement, feedback, and the reinforcement that I was exactly where I needed to be.

What surprised me most was how warm and supportive the response from people I received was, especially at such a small market. 🥳

I went in expecting it to be a quiet first attempt, where I'd make make a single sale if I was lucky - maybe even a learning experience with minimal outcome (worse case scenario). Instead, it became one of my first real wins as an artist. 💖

That day hasn't magically erased all my insecurities, but it proved something important to me, I can show up, even when I’m unsure of myself, and still find success on the other side of my intrusive fear/doubts.

This is only the beginning of my journey, and there is so much more I want to create, explore, and share. I’m learning as I go, growing with each step, and slowly building confidence where doubt used to live.

If you’ve been watching from the side lines and supporting me - thank you! I hope you stay tuned - there’s a lot more to come. ✨

xo

Gabie (Gabree)