A year ago, I had one of those fake silk trees sitting on the front patio. For some reason, a pair of hummingbirds decided it would be a good tree to build their nest in. I set up a web cam so I could watch the hummingbirds without disturbing them.
I got to watch as the tiny little eggs hatched, and as the birds grew larger, and as the birds finally flew the nest.
Fast-forward to this year. The fake silk tree is gone, but the birds keep coming back looking for it. I've been seeing them just outside the window buzzing around looking for that tree. But it's not there.
Sometimes artists are like those hummingbirds looking for that tree. A show may have been really good in previous years, but is no longer. And yet we keep hoping. We keep doing shows long after that show has run its course.
Everything has cycles including art shows and craft shows. Sometimes the cycle is up and sales are good, sometimes a cycle is down. Keeping an eye on these cycles can really help to maintain your sales levels. You can either find other shows to do or you can change your products to better fit the show.
What can you do to maximize your chances of success?