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Belated A-Fest Post
10 years ago
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I technically didn?t have table minions at A-fest this year, so I more or less never physically left my table except for about 15-30 minutes on Saturday, but that was ok! I don?t actually mind being behind the table all con since that?s 90% of the reason I go at all.
I?ve got to say, though, A-fest was probably the most fun I?ve had at a con (selling) since the first year I had a table! The past couple years have felt very grey and serious for me, and it wasn?t until I was enjoying being there again that I realized it had become a chore. I?d banked most of my passion and energy in other places, and so when cons rolled around the last couple years I always felt overwhelmed, stale, and machinelike about it. I wasn?t proud of my store, I wasn?t proud of the work I was selling, I wasn?t even proud of my cosplays anymore. I?d be short tempered with customers for asking harmless questions, and I only cared about whether or not they were buying something. I just wasn?t enjoying myself.
But deep down, I knew that I loved this line of work, so it was hard to understand just how out-of-sorts I had been. I wasn?t really enjoying any of the things I loved anymore.
This year has been so refreshing. I feel like I recognize myself again. I?m loud and passionate and I?m proud of what I?ve brought to share with the conventions. I?ve had more conversations and made more friends and acquaintances than I have in years?many of which never were going to buy anything in the first place. It was just enough about the money that I still knew how to make sales, but it was just as much about the people and the experience. I didn?t feel like I was working at all.
And because I wasn?t a clammed up grumpy thing all con, I got to really get to know my customers. So many people came by (and somehow recognized me even though this year had an almost 100 percent change in stock, so there were barely anything they could recognize on my table from years past) and told me that I was a defining part of their early or first con experience. Their experiences lining up roughly with the first year I?d sold at cons, so back when I was acting and feeling much more like I?m starting to again, now. I?ve struggled with not feeling memorable or remarkable lately, so those were words that really put my effect in my small convention circuit into perspective. And I hope I?ve made many more good memories for those who are just getting into anime conventions, or whose first A-fest was this one.
I?m also so pleased with the prints I?ve made this year. I worked my ass off to make a wholly new lineup, and I love everything that I had printed. The best compliment I got all con was a lady telling her friend, ?I have that one framed in my house,? while pointing to one of my prints. A different woman pointed the same print out to her friends later and I overheard her say, ?I bought that one yesterday. I?m going to have it framed.? A few conversations I overheard went along the lines of ?no one would even know these are fan art unless they knew the character,? in the idea that they felt they could display the art in their home, and it was sophisticated enough that their adult friends who weren?t into that kind of entertainment could still appreciate the art and not realize it was from ?a children?s show.?
And that was something around what my goal was this year! I really wanted to blur the lines between fanart illustration and fine art with a bit of abstraction. It?s not something I commonly see in artist alleys, but the response I have gotten from my audience tells me that I?ve pulled it off and I should keep exploring in this area.
The best response I think I got were my Five Nights at Freddy?s pieces, with the general comment being that ?they?re actually scary.? Mission complete! I love cute chibi designs too, but this was moreso a comparison to the other FNAF art at the con that wasn?t supposed to be cute. I wanted that dark, dingy, dirty, rotted look to really shine about those pieces, and it did! The messiest, craziest mixed media paintings on average got way more love than any of my cleaner paintings, so I?ll definitely be doing more of that. It?s my favorite, anyway.
I bought very very little this con. A fox keychain, a pair of earrings and a Sailor Moon necklace, a choker, a handmade stuffed monster. And meals. But I?m ridiculously happy with everything I bought and have the smallest buyer?s remorse I?ve ever had. The good memories I associate these items with I?m sure will bring me to appreciate them for years to come. They truly carry sentimental value for me.
I only really got to hang out with one friend, who had lunch with me and chilled out with me in intervals, but I?m glad I got to see her ??
She was a lifesaver for bringing me food and without her the con would have been much more lonely.
I?ll be working hard to make next year even better and full of the art and cosplays I love again! Thank you to everyone who came out to see me at A-fest!
I?ve got to say, though, A-fest was probably the most fun I?ve had at a con (selling) since the first year I had a table! The past couple years have felt very grey and serious for me, and it wasn?t until I was enjoying being there again that I realized it had become a chore. I?d banked most of my passion and energy in other places, and so when cons rolled around the last couple years I always felt overwhelmed, stale, and machinelike about it. I wasn?t proud of my store, I wasn?t proud of the work I was selling, I wasn?t even proud of my cosplays anymore. I?d be short tempered with customers for asking harmless questions, and I only cared about whether or not they were buying something. I just wasn?t enjoying myself.
But deep down, I knew that I loved this line of work, so it was hard to understand just how out-of-sorts I had been. I wasn?t really enjoying any of the things I loved anymore.
This year has been so refreshing. I feel like I recognize myself again. I?m loud and passionate and I?m proud of what I?ve brought to share with the conventions. I?ve had more conversations and made more friends and acquaintances than I have in years?many of which never were going to buy anything in the first place. It was just enough about the money that I still knew how to make sales, but it was just as much about the people and the experience. I didn?t feel like I was working at all.
And because I wasn?t a clammed up grumpy thing all con, I got to really get to know my customers. So many people came by (and somehow recognized me even though this year had an almost 100 percent change in stock, so there were barely anything they could recognize on my table from years past) and told me that I was a defining part of their early or first con experience. Their experiences lining up roughly with the first year I?d sold at cons, so back when I was acting and feeling much more like I?m starting to again, now. I?ve struggled with not feeling memorable or remarkable lately, so those were words that really put my effect in my small convention circuit into perspective. And I hope I?ve made many more good memories for those who are just getting into anime conventions, or whose first A-fest was this one.
I?m also so pleased with the prints I?ve made this year. I worked my ass off to make a wholly new lineup, and I love everything that I had printed. The best compliment I got all con was a lady telling her friend, ?I have that one framed in my house,? while pointing to one of my prints. A different woman pointed the same print out to her friends later and I overheard her say, ?I bought that one yesterday. I?m going to have it framed.? A few conversations I overheard went along the lines of ?no one would even know these are fan art unless they knew the character,? in the idea that they felt they could display the art in their home, and it was sophisticated enough that their adult friends who weren?t into that kind of entertainment could still appreciate the art and not realize it was from ?a children?s show.?
And that was something around what my goal was this year! I really wanted to blur the lines between fanart illustration and fine art with a bit of abstraction. It?s not something I commonly see in artist alleys, but the response I have gotten from my audience tells me that I?ve pulled it off and I should keep exploring in this area.
The best response I think I got were my Five Nights at Freddy?s pieces, with the general comment being that ?they?re actually scary.? Mission complete! I love cute chibi designs too, but this was moreso a comparison to the other FNAF art at the con that wasn?t supposed to be cute. I wanted that dark, dingy, dirty, rotted look to really shine about those pieces, and it did! The messiest, craziest mixed media paintings on average got way more love than any of my cleaner paintings, so I?ll definitely be doing more of that. It?s my favorite, anyway.
I bought very very little this con. A fox keychain, a pair of earrings and a Sailor Moon necklace, a choker, a handmade stuffed monster. And meals. But I?m ridiculously happy with everything I bought and have the smallest buyer?s remorse I?ve ever had. The good memories I associate these items with I?m sure will bring me to appreciate them for years to come. They truly carry sentimental value for me.
I only really got to hang out with one friend, who had lunch with me and chilled out with me in intervals, but I?m glad I got to see her ??
She was a lifesaver for bringing me food and without her the con would have been much more lonely.
I?ll be working hard to make next year even better and full of the art and cosplays I love again! Thank you to everyone who came out to see me at A-fest!
I'm glad you had a good time :33