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I’m so so so excited to be a part of this year’s Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show! Please mark your calendars for June 30 & July 1. And if you happen to be a boutique or store, please come July 2 for the wholesale only event. As usual, it will be held at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall – perfect for rain or shine. Read on if you want to know the depths of how much I want to be exhibiting this year!
To be honest, I had no idea that I would be a vendor with UCU this year. It’s not for lack of trying though! This is my third year in a row applying for this exclusive show. There are just so many incredibly talented makers out there.
So what happened? Well, I thought I would share a little bit of my journey with you.
First of all, I tried! This particular show is juried. There is an application process that includes not only photos, but writing a few paragraphs about your business. In that sense, it’s kind of personal because it’s more than just filling out your name & address. There’s a fee, and then you wait.
To be honest, even the first year I applied in 2016, I thought I’d get in. My product was good & aesthetic was nice. So I was pretty shocked when I received my general rejection letter.
Difficult life experiences have taught me to grieve these disappointments. First…. I let myself feel allllll the feelings. It’s not easy because we are wired to handle things usually via flight, fight or freeze. But I do let myself wallow for a bit. Then after being totally in it, I completely step out of it. I take a look from the outside and try to see what can be improved. What can be better?
I ended up evolving my product quite a bit naturally over the next year, introducing my 100% essential oil line. I applied again in 2017. Quite confident that my candles were even more proprietary as I’d begun formulating my own essential oil recipes, I was sure I’d be in there like swimwear. Nope.
I don’t even know what possessed me to apply again this year. It takes time & money to do it! But it’s just one of those things. Do you have one of those things? I just really wanted it. I kept my application pretty straightforward this spring and upped my game when it came to product photography. Lo and behold, I was crazy surprised when a letter of acceptance came through!
All that to say, I’m so not joking when I tell you just how excited I am to be a vendor at this year’s show! It means more to me than just a show. It’s a validation of my work as a maker. It’s also encouraged me to keep pushing on in all of my endeavors – business & personal. Failure is no fun, but it sure does make getting a YES that much sweeter.
THANK YOU for reading all of this! Cheers!!
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