Today was the first day of this year's Salt Lake FanX Comic Convention. After attending an event like this my mind is racing with images of the things I saw, recalling fond memories re-connecting with good friends, and taking in the atmosphere of thousands of people gathered under one enormous roof.
I walked the floor with two of my sons, sons that are themselves well versed in geek culture. They wanted to see the things they could buy--Lego figures, Funko Pop characters, they even looked at jewelry and watches.
But each of them took an interest in the artists and their artwork.
Which presents me with an issue--if I could, I would buy something from every artist there.
And the reason I want to buy something from each artist is because almost all of it is really, really good.
My boys stopped at the art that "spoke" to them--such is the way of things with art. But I've been on the other side of that table. I've looked into people's eyes and wondered if they have enough money for one more book, one more thing to haul out with them when they leave.
I stopped by one booth in the artist's section. Her stuff was beautiful. I took a picture to see if it was art that "spoke" to my daughter. Turns out, it didn't, which was fine. Not all art is for all people. I left wondering how the artist was going to do for the weekend. When all was said and done, would she, when packing up her booth and boxing unsold items, be in the black, the red, or break even? Would it be worth her time to be there?
I know many vendors will leave with less money than when they arrived, after paying all the costs of the event. And the fact that they keep coming back is a testament to just how strong the drive to create is. I don't know how many books I'll end up selling or will be sold at our booth, but I do know that being on the floor and being able to talk to people having a good time is a lot of fun. Maybe, even though I didn't buy anything from any artists today, I hope they enjoyed their day, too.
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