Upstate Women's Show Reflections

Are you an artist that is thinking of being in a weekend show somewhere?

Do you have any idea what the traffic pattern for the event will be like?

What sort of giveaways will you have?

What is your main purpose in going -- sales? recognition? launch a new project?

All of these questions and more should come to mind when exhibiting as a vendor. The Upstate Women's Show in Greenville, SC, had a few challenges. First, all the spa/beauty/baubles items were on the right side of the venue. For some reason, they put me on the left side, next to the YWCA, and across from two home improvement companies. I had no choice in this, but did the best I could seeing I was the only creative girl on the block.

What I got out of the show: Recognition for Votre Vray and Shout: Kiss My Art, and several new artists who filled out questionnaires for the Creative Women project book.
What I would have liked more of: Sales.

Will I attend again next year? Perhaps, if they make some changes and let me exhibit near other creative folks, and if I have a new Votre Vray project ready.

All in all, I met some great people, gained a new friend or two amongst the other business owners, and learned how to best meet a non-creative crowd in future events.

Until next time,
keep creating!
-Mel.

Votre Vray Creative Women Survey - Reply here OR via e-mail

Below is the basic survey I'll be using at the Upstate Women's Show this weekend (August 22-24) in Greenville, SC.

You can either reply here in the comments section or e-mail me at:

MelEdwardsConnnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com.

Please know, any comments you make may appear in this blog, in my one woman show (entitled Shout: Kiss My Art) or in the Votre Vray Creative Women book.

I look foward to your input.

-Mel.

*****

Votre Vray Creative Women Survey/Input

My Creative Life (select as many as apply)

1. I am a full-time (or at least half-time) professional artisan/crafter 

2. I craft or create art for a hobby/pleasure and sell my work (for less than 50% of my total income).

3. I craft of create art for a hobby/pleasure and give my work as gifts to loved ones.

4. I craft or create art for a hobby/pleasure and keep my work to myself.

5. I used to be full-time professional artisan/crafter but ....(include explanation why you are no longer a professional, please).

6. I used ot craft/create art but I let my roles (relationships/children/career) stop me.

7. I used to craft/create art but my health/age prevents me from doing my art.

8. I used to craft/create but I gave up on it...(if so, please explain why).

My advice/Comments to Women about living a creative life:

(insert your comments)

Votre Vray Creative Women Update

Well, folks, if you have been following the blog about Mel Edwards' Votre Vray Creative Women project you probably have noticed that not a whole lot has happened blog-wise in almost two weeks. Here's the latest.

1. The Votre Vray Creative Women interview process has ended. If you sent a release form and answered the six interview launch questions and did not get a chance to be interviewed for Volume 1 of the Votre Vray project, have no fear. Your information will still be included in the final product. However, since the project is already one month behind, I just had to stop the interviewing process. I can't create a one-woman show and write a book at the same time, and certainly can't do either while talking on the phone. If you have something to add, please e-mail me by this Friday, August 15th so it can be added to my notes for the final piece. 

2. Mel has been in the recording studio! I've recorded nineteen poems, four songs and four stories this past week, and have enough material for TWO cds! I'll be sure to alert you when they're ready for sale. 

3. Shout: KMA (Kiss My Art!) T-shirts are for sale. Buy a shirt for $15 for sizes S-XL, $18 for sizes 2XL and 3XL and $5 will go to arts organizations to help offer free or reduced-price classes in the arts for women. 

4. Upstate Women's Show is August 22-24 at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC. Mel. will be there with Shout: KMA (Kiss My Art!) shirts, poetry chapbooks, and cds for sale. Also, local Upstate SC women artists can fill out a questionnaire for inclusion in the Votre Vray Creative Women project statistics and brief response sections of the book. (If you've done the interview launch questions, you've already done this, so don't worry about missing out.) 

5. Mel's been on Internet Voices Radio! Toni Quest, Votre Vray Creative Woman herself, interviewed Mel last night, August 11th. Go to www.internetvoicesradio.com, click on archives, and then select Toni's name. You then can listen to the interview. 

6. More Votre Vray Creative Women profiles are coming! Several profiles will be added to this blog by the end of the week (August 15th) with the final round by the end of August. Once your profile has been added, I'll notify you immediately by e-mail. 

Thank you ever so much for your support in this project. You can continue to make it a success by telling all your friends, relatives and business associates about Votre Vray. Ask them to subscribe to the blog. Add a link to the blog on your web pages and personal RSS feeds. Buy a Shout: KMA (Kiss My Art!) shirt to help other women follow in your footsteps. E-mail Mel and tell her where in your community you can envision her doing her one-woman show. Together, we can make an impact and improve the lives of women artists everywhere. 

Let's become the Oprah show of Creative Women!

Until next time, 

Keep Creating!

-Mel.

p.s. Mel's big dream is to have the Votre Vray Creative Women one-woman play become an HBO special. If you know anyone who may know anyone with HBO productions, please e-mail Mel! (MelEdwardsConnect [at] Yahoo [dot] com)

Attention All Votre Vray Artists ~ Call for Give-Aways

Dear Friends,
As mentioned in the blog the other day, I will be at the Upstate (SC) Women's Show August 22-24. In addition to promoting my poetry chapbook and cd, I will be focusing upon the Votre Vray stories of creative women. In doing so, I'll be asking local women to participate in the Votre Vray Creative Women project and telling them about you and your work. If you have any items you'd like me to give away as part of that show: books, business cards, cd's, dvd's, magnets, bookmarks, fliers, pens, prints, T-shirts, etc. please snail mail them to me at:

Votre Vray
P O Box 1106
Mauldin SC 29662

I will make sure every item is given to potential customers and encourage them to tell you Mel Edwards' Votre Vray sent them. All give-aways must be received by August 20th, 2008.

Until next time, keep creating!
-Mel.

Mel's Votre Vray to Attend Upstate SC Women's Show

August 22-24 at Carolina First Center (formerly the Palmetto Expo Center) the world of women's products and services will be at your fingertips and Mel will be there!
(One of the special guests is Lisa Rinna, who Mel used to watch on Days of Our Lives, many moons ago. )

Come meet Mel, and if you're not part of the Votre Vray Creative Women's project yet, you can sign a release form and answer the six interview launch questions on site.
Mel. will also have poetry chapbooks and cd's for sale, and will be available to discuss bookings.

Exhibit hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

For more information, visit: http://upstatewomensshow.com/

Hope to see you there!
-Mel.