Lively shopkeepermode
How do you dress to serve customers? Some chain stores have staff uniforms, some shops sell clothing and wear the product. Some dress to keep warm or cool.
One of the aspects of selling my art that I have embraced over the last three years is to maintain my sense of humour and wear outfits that get me noticed and often start a conversation.
2017 – Craft fairs – I had some Vistaprint t shirts and a banner for my table to help people identify me.
– PAW – same marketing with labelled t shirts and sweatshirt and my characteristic shorts and sandals
– artisans on the beach – dress for warmth and multi layering saw the use of my blue cloud suit and super-penguin onesie plus Christmas sweaters.
2018 – Artisans on the beach saw the addition of a new bight fancy dress outfit, Polar bear giving me a shoulder carry. This outfit attracted lots of attention not always conducive to selling art.
Also that year I started to produce the hand drawn boiler suit idea for the first time. This suit was added to in 2019 too as my Artisans uniform.
2019 – I addd additional boiler suits and bib n braces during the year and wore several and exhibited them during PAW at my open studio.
– Artisans on the beach I had started the Santa Over… Christmas card advertising outfit with a copy of each of my Christmas card designs.
2020 – the year of the hand drawn hat. I have just drafted the design for commission 5 and hat number 10 since June. A new talking point and one I am really enjoying the conversations it prompts.
Yes it takes nerve and a sense of humour to wear many of the outfits I have shared above, I enjoy acting like a big kid. If you are more reserved then not an approach to take. Do they get me positive feedback from customers? Yes they really do – the bloke from the huts, Andy and the hats… I am sure there are many less complimentary comments but they are not shared with me.
So think on what message does your work outfit say about you and your art?
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