Badassery Magazine July2017-Issue | Page 55

HOW DO I FIND A SHOW? The Internet is your friend. Between Google and Facebook, there is no shortage of ways to find out about upcoming events in your area. You can search your city and state + “craft fair” or “craft show” (or any permutation thereof) and turn up plenty of results, including sites dedicated to curating events around the country. Facebook has nationwide and local groups dedicated to vendor events: listings, reviews, orga- nization, etc. Make good use of these groups; no one knows bet- ter if a show is worth your time than someone who has previously taken part. Finding shows is easy. Deciding which ones to participate in, not so much. Check out the info- graphic for what factors to con- sider when choosing a craft show. The biggest step is deciding you want to venture into the craft show arena. Putting yourself and your work out there is a daunt- ing task. Once you’ve made that decision and dealt with the sub- sequent insecurities of putting yourself on display, everything else will begin to fall into place. Don’t talk yourself into thinking everything has to be perfect the first time out because it won’t be. Use each experience as a chance to learn and grow as a creative business owner. About the Author Laura Stinson of Designed by Laura is an artist first, and is in the business of creativity. She provides services and products that allow creative entrepreneurs to spend more time doing what they love — being creative! In addition to creating beautiful websites and identity designs for creative entrepreneurs, she is the author of Vendiary the only planner specifically designed for craft fair, show, and festival vendors, and The Vendor Diaries: Unsolicited Advice from a Craft Show Novice, an e-book for those new to the craft show world. Visit her at http:// www.dblaura.com.   54