Oakhurst Fall Festival, Artober, and Sierra Art Trail

This weekend I had the opportunity to display my work during Artober at the Oakhurst Fall Festival in the Yosemite Sierra Artist booth. I wasn't sure about participating-- it was a little last minute and I was out of town when the opportunity arose. The week was already wildly busy, and I just wasn't sure how well it would work.

Luckily, I recently read ​SELL OUT: The Definitive Guide To Selling Your Art Online Without Losing Your Damn Mind by Rachel Wilkins. In one chapter she discusses taking opportunities and making the most of them. So I decided to stop worrying and just make it happen.

I am so glad I did. I met some truly lovely people and made some great connections and new friends. The weather was absolutely beautiful, there was a great turn out, and I even got to meet a duck in a stroller... in my book that is pretty fantastic. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is easy to make excuses, to worry about how things will go, and to just decide to skip something. It is certainly more work to put yourself out there and do things that you aren't quite sure will work out, but the reward can be really great in the end. I think when we shift our goals and mindset a bit to base them on the specific opportunity the outcome can be wonderful. 

How about you, do you struggle with taking a leap like this? Do you struggle with trying new things, or feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks required for events? Maybe you have a great tip or trick that you can share. Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

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The start of a grizzly bear painting I did at the festival.