Navigating the Ups and Downs of a Small Creative Business Through the Year: Progress Update on Blogging

Not exactly what I was aiming for, but looking back over the year, I'm pretty happy with my blog so far. I know I said I'd post once a month, but this post makes it my 8th for the year. Even though I didn't hit the target, I did better than in past years, and I'm getting the hang of running all parts of my business, including blogging.

As you can imagine, I'm right in the middle of holiday markets, and they've been a bit of a rollercoaster. I mentioned earlier that September and October were good, and I was looking forward to November, expecting it to be solid with the holidays approaching. But unfortunately, November was a letdown. I had three shows, and they were pretty lackluster in terms of sales, and my first show in December was even worse. Not gonna lie, I was disappointed and started questioning my business. Just to be clear, I don't judge shows solely on sales. I do set a sales goal for each show, and these last four were way below my target. But success isn't just about sales for me. I love it when people engage with me and my work. Even if they don't buy anything, just stopping to chat or ask questions makes a difference in how I rate a show. The last four shows didn't have much of that, which is probably why I was doubting myself. I'm curious how other small businesses or creatives feel about vending—the ups and the downs?

I'm really happy to share that last week's shows went great! I had three shows in a row—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—and they all turned out awesome in terms of sales and interactions. It definitely boosted my confidence. Here are some highlights:

• All three shows hit or even beat my expectations

• Had some amazing chats with customers and fellow artists

• Received some great feedback on my work

• Caught up with artists and friends I hadn't seen in a while

I've got one more show this month, so I'm busy with jewelry prep this week, but I'm feeling really good about my business this year. I'm also excited about this blog. Every time I write, it sparks new ideas for future posts. I'm planning to dive deeper into some of the topics I've touched on this year as I move into the second full year of my jewelry business in 2026! Hope you'll join me on this journey!