Wow! I wrote in this blog a little over a month ago after finishing up the Women's March painting and I was figuring out a way to get prints and postcards made for friends and give money to Emerge Vermont. Since then, so much has happened.
I figured out how to open a store online with my Wix site I share with my sister, Sisterscapes, and get prints made, postcards and notecards made of the watercolor. Then, I created a Lauren Wooden Watercolors page on Facebook to support links and marketing. I was expecting a nice little group of friends and folks to buy some to remember the day. You know, those that pushed me to do this. It grew.
I learned about a craft show that happened last weekend locally that donates half of artists' profits to the charity of their choice - which fit perfectly with my Emerge Vermont commitment. So I built up a bit of stock and added some other prints of paintings into the mix and had a little booth. It was fantastic!
I sold over 140 postcards that day, many notecards, at least 10 11 x 14 matted prints and had several online orders when I returned home, as well! It has been a whole new experience, getting the products ready and mailing it out, tracking, and all.
But the real joy of this whole experience is the feeling of unity and commitment that I am hearing from folks who are purchasing. At the show, folks stopped dead in their tracks as they walked by the booth, and drew closer to the print of the Women's March, trying to find themselves in the painting. We all reminisced about where we parked, how we felt, where we stood, seeing (or at least hearing) Bernie. It was a sisterhood that felt so special and that's what the painting did for these folks. It connected them. It reminded them. They said, "You really captured the feeling. " "I have to get this for my sister, she was there."
I was amazed at how many folks bought packs of 10 postcards - saying they were going to have a 'postcard party' and wanted to keep one to frame. They brought a little hope and joy back and that was more than an artist can hope for. It was obvious that they were committed to resist and have their voices heard. It was inspiring.
Will I ever have another opportunity to impact folks this way? I would hope so and I would doubt it. I am grateful for the experience. Thank you.
- Lauren