The reopening of Moseley Arts Market!
On Saturday I spent the day all cosy’d up in my little hippie stall at the Moseley Arts Market… well thats what it was like in my head, on the outside it may have looked like 4 metal posts with tarpaulin roof but you bring the energy and atmosphere yourself, I was feeling colourful Glastonbury teepee vibes! and I’m gutted I forgot my incense sticks to be honest.
About Moseley Arts Market . . .
Mosley Art Market is very well known in Birmingham. It runs along Alcester Road and takes place on the last Saturday of every month. Moseley is a really cool area with a creative, bohemian feel to it. There’s lots of quirky bars, coffee shops and yoga places too! I have to mention Demescena, which is a Lebanese coffee house and delicatessen, who have the most magical, cosy, middle eastern atmosphere, who happen to do the best mint tea I have found in England! In fact, I’ve added some photos of Demescena later in the blog, just because it’s so lovely. Anyway, back to the Market… Moseley Art Market has people selling their own amazing creations, such as textiles, homewares, sculptures, jewellery and art, which is where I fit in. At my stall shoppers could buy my watercolour illustrations as originals, prints (in all different sizes) and a zine I had made especially for the market! … I was really excited for it, can you tell?
Why did I decide to do an Art Market?
First of all, I love a trip out to a nice market and I had heard on the grapevine that this was a really nice market to visit. I had been thinking a lot about taking my paintings out into the world, and maybe having a stall somewhere for a day… You know; drink coffee, do some sketching, talk to people? This market seemed like a great fit, so I applied early in the year, and secured my spot in June. It was super exciting to be doing a SUMMER market! Then in March: COVID19, which obviously meant the market was stopped! Then, sometime in May, I was surprised to receive an email stating that they were thinking of re opening the market in June, and wanted to know whether I still wanted to be apart of it? I didn’t think they would re-open the market until next year, or maybe christmas time, and to be honest, I really wasn’t sure whether to do it. I needed a good think about it, as I had concerns; Would it be safe? Would there be a weird atmosphere? Would anyone want to go? I’m a natural born over-thinker, so my mind was going in to overdrive on this one. I sent them back an email asking them some questions, which they were really helpful with, and they sent all the information on safety and the precautions that would be put in place if it were to go ahead. So, the big Tim Ferris question was needed here; Hell yes? or no?.. My gut said yes. I felt it would be safe, and I also felt like it was really important that we get the economy back up and running, and support each other as much possible, especially small business. So, as this was the first re-opening of the market I was on board. Hell yes!..
Now, here’s the thing with me; I am ‘ALL IN’ once I’ve made a decision, which can be a useful trait, and sometimes it can be a hindrance, but this is me… Mooching around little independent shops, like boutiques and antiques places, markets and festival stalls, is like one of my favourite things to do! Its so visceral I love it! Taking in how things are set out so beautifully, its like an experience just being there, a feast for the eyes. So, if I’m doing it, I’m doing it, and it doesn’t matter if only 5 people come along, I am not going to half arse it. I want my stall to look inviting and beautiful, and it to be an experience that people will remember. My stall will be filled with my paintings, in interesting ways, and maybe I’ll dress it up with a few plants, candles, crystals? I wanted to have fun with the set up.
What was the Experience like??
So, I went in with a positive mind, but also prepared for the possibility of it being empty, which, for the first half of the day, due to the torrential rain, it was! That being said, all was not lost, and I made use of this time by photographing my stall and sharing it on social media. I thought, if anything, this might inspire others to do something similar. I also wanted to write about the experience of doing a market post lock down, hence this blog post, so I also started writing. In between this I also got chatting to fellow market stall holders, which was nice, and it felt very much like we were all in it together, specially with it being so cold and wet. I carried on writing for a while and then at 12pm, the rain stopped. The sun came out, and guess what? So did all the people! it actually got busy, which was an amazing thing to see. Parents out with their children, holding ice creams, people milling about with their dogs, people walking by, with what I imagined were the most delicious coffees ever. It felt like the normal world again, like pre-covid, but maybe even better because everyone seemed even happier to be out and about at a nice event. I chatted to some really interesting people throughout the day, and the main topic up for discussion at my stall was definitely yoga… I wonder why?? I was definitely in my element. Yoga with Adriene came up in conversation the most. I can’t believe how many people know about her?! Even though she has a huge following, it still feels weird, and personal, when you talk to someone you don’t know and they ask you whether you do yoga with Adriene? I’m always, like, YES! I also really enjoyed hearing about how people had found yoga, and how it has helped them in their lives during times of suffering, illness, loss, trauma, anxiety, or even how it has helped them find a path improvement and self love. All in all, it was a great experience, and I’m so glad things are starting to transition back to normal. I am so grateful for all the positive feedback I got for my work. It really means the world to me when people want to buy the art I have created! Thanks for reading and Namaste!
Useful Links:
If you read this and think well I need to get myself down to Moseley Arts Market you can find information here: https://www.moseleycdt.com/arts_market
https://www.facebook.com/MoseleyArtsMarket/
Yoga with Adriene - Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
Damascena - https://damascena.co.uk/
