Well, that’s the festive fair season over for me for another year, and once again I am pleased and relieved to report that it was enjoyably frantic! Back in October I was quite concerned about how it was going to go, with online sales down and the harsh reality of the Cost of Living Crisis properly kicking in for many of us.
Happily however, people turned out in their hundreds (and sometimes thousands!) to support local events. Fortunately for small creative businesses like myself, folk seem to be really considering carefully how they spend their money and who they spend it with, and they also really appreciate handmade craft and the uniqueness of it…I can’t tell you how much all the purchases, interest, kind comments and general enthusiasm for my work means to me. It gives me such a boost and carries me through the times when my motivation is at a low, and for that I am very grateful.
2024 will likely bring many challenges, financially and creatively; Production costs continue to rise, and I need to re-evaluate my materials and range to make everything more streamlined and sustainable…and of course like many creative types I have lots of ideas, some of which I’m pretty sure cannot be brought to fruition using laser-cut wood! It would be lovely to devote some time to experimentation…but I think I might have said all this at the end of last year..!
Whatever happens I will be back next year with news of what I’m up to over the coming year.
For now I’ll take my leave with a massive THANK YOU to everyone who supported my artistic endeavours this year…I wish you happiness and good health in 2024!
HooperHart 