It Takes Courage... Jerry Aragon
Courage:  Definition:  The attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous; difficult or painful, instead of
                    withdrawing from it.
* It takes courage to start a family
 
* It takes courage to switch jobs.

* It takes courage to take risks with your ideas.

* It takes courage to move out of town, away from your family.

* And, something I know a little  about...it takes courage to
  participate in an arts and crafts show, before hundreds or
  thousands of people, and you never know whether your work will
  be accepted or rejected!

  It won't be long before the boomers arrive at retirement age, and
many of them, will be looking at a variety of things to occupy their
time.  I suspect,  heading the list for many, will be in the art; craft;
and writing fields.

 The state of New Mexico (USA), (where I reside), is blessed with thousands of talented artists and craftspeople.  There are also dozens of quality shows around the State for exhibitor's to show and/or sell their work.

 But, there are many fine and talented artists and craftspeople, who will never get to this stage...that is, participate in an arts and crafts show,
because of their fear of rejection and/or failure.

  To put something together with your mind and hands, and then
display it before thousands of people, is no easy task!  Everyone who
passes by your display is a judge of your work...craftsmanship;
creativity; price, and so forth.

  This is tough is two ways:  First, you have to show your work for
creativity; craftsmanship, as mentioned previously.  And, then you have
to put a price tag on it...and THIS is where it gets tough!  When people see the price tag...well...it could be the end, if it's too high!

  So, in getting out there, I believe a person has to have high self-esteem, and the confidence level has to be high as well, just in case of rejection
or failure.  But, I never like to use the word "failure," and I don't use it for myself or my work.  Instead, I prefer to use the word, "set-back."  And,
that's because I feel like people who are out there doing something
positive for themselves, are not failures!  The real failures are the people who do nothing constructive with their lives!

Fiesta of Arts and Crafts
(Art in the Park)


   I was Founder and Director of the Fiesta of Arts and Crafts, here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  During the six shows, ( 6 years), I had

the privilege of meeting many wonderful and talented artists and
craftspeople from all over the State.

   But, throughout all this time, there is a story about a woman named Jean, who stands out in my mind, and is a great story!  The woman worked with macrame, and she had been doing it for many years, giving away much of her work, as gifts, to family and friends.

   For many years, she had given thought to selling her work, whether it be in galleries, or at arts and crafts shows, but could never get the courage to do so, because she was afraid of rejection and failure.

    She called me before the show deadline...asking questions and so forth, but she was indecisive; nervous; reluctant...and, she didn't know what to do. 

    I did my best to try to encourage her to participate, and told her that if she didn't do well, as far as sales were concerned, she would have the opportunity to get reaction from the public, which was also important.
She was pretty jittery... and, I didn't think she would participate.

    A couple of days later, and to my amazement, her entry form arrived in the mail, and I was glad to see it.  I called her and told her that we all have had to go through it, and that I would hold her hand, and she would be fine.

     I know what she was going through, because, for my first show, I couldn't have chosen a small show behind a church some place to get my start.  For my first show, I was invited by the Girls Club, Inc., of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to participate in a show on the Plaza.  Thousands of tourists visit Santa Fe every year from all over the world, so as you might expect, I was very nervous.  As it got closer to the show, I almost cancelled out, because I didn't know if I could find the courage to go through with it.  I got through it, and I went on to participate in over 40 other shows.  So, I could relate to what Jean was going through.

     About 110 exhibitor's participated in the show that day, and everything went well that morning, and just before noon, I was attending to business in the park area, when I heard someone yelling and screaming out at me.

I   It  was Jean...and, she was running toward me across the way shouting
out; "Jerry...Jerry...I did it...I did it...my first sale!"  She raced up to me and threw her arms around me, and was as excited as she could be!
She was waving a check in her hand.  "Look...look...my first check...it's for 50 dollars...I did it...I did it!"  We were both jumping up and down, and giving each other high-fives like a couple of little kids!  As we walked back to her display, I noticed a tear or two coming down her face, and she was already planning for her next show!  I was so happy for her!  It was a great day for both of us!

   One thing is certain...if you create something with your mind and your
hands, and somebody reaches into their pocketbook, and pays you for
it...it's the ultimate compliment!

     So it doesn't matter your chosen field...it takes determination; training;
skill; talent; hard work, long hours, and as Jean found out, after years of searching...it takes courage!   Jer

Jerry Aragon