Or learnt. Whichever way you prefer it, I have become a big believer in positive iterations of learning, improving, and evolving, whether it’s in web design*, my arts and crafts, or life in general.
I recently read the book Black Box Thinking, which highlights how failure is actually a positive thing because it allows this learning to take place. Without trying, failing, and trying again, or seeking to iterate and improve, it is unlikely that we would have the innovations we have today. I found the book fascinating, and you may have noticed me mention it on other blogs or peppering personal conversations with anecdotes from it.
What does all of this have to do with the photo above? My time at the Chippenham Craft Fayre was very much not a failure. I had a great time meeting a group of lovely, talented people, and, on the monetary side of things, I exceeded my friends at Wood’N’Things equation for calculating whether you have had a successful craft show (takings should be at least three times the cost of entry).
Yet it underscored to me that there is always something that can be learned from any experience, whether a failure or a success. For example, the cardboard boxes that I used to prop up the tags – they did the job in a pinch, but they’re not ideal. The wooden animal figures I use to keep the cards separate – these need to be more robust as people were using them as handles. Prices should also be on the back of signs as an aide memoire. And, related to this, my memory is not what it used to be. Writing everything down on the day was an enormous help, and helps me feel much more prepared for my next show in November.
In the meantime, I will be playing around with tag shapes, experimenting with new card designs, and not worrying about a few stumbles along the way.
* I am currently in the middle of giving Indian River by Air a minor makeover so this is fresh in my mind!
Explore the UK from wherever you are! Get notified when each new blog post is published and receive a free eBook as a bonus:
