Consistency Pays Off: Reflections from an Unexpected Email
Last week, I was going through my inbox when I opened a newsletter from the La Jolla Art and Wine Festival. I was casually reading along when suddenly—boom—there it was. A giant picture of me at my booth from last year.
I had no idea the photo had been taken, and seeing myself featured like that was both surprising and strangely validating. This year will mark my fourth time participating in the show, and it turns out over 400 artists applied for the 2025 festival. Only 160 were selected, and I’m grateful to be among them.
That moment in the email got me thinking about who comes to art fairs, and more importantly, what an art collector really looks like. One thing I’ve learned after doing festivals consistently for the last five years is that people really do come back. They remember you. They revisit your booth. Some even follow your journey across multiple shows in different cities.
And why not? These festivals are free to attend, filled with great art, live music, and often a beer or wine garden. It’s an easy way to spend a day exploring creativity.
Here’s the honest truth. As an artist, I didn’t grow up going to art festivals. I didn’t fully understand the appeal or the culture behind them. But now that I’ve been part of it for a while, I’ve discovered a whole community of people who genuinely love walking the aisles, seeing what catches their eye, and connecting with artists.
And here’s what might surprise you the most: you really don’t know what an art collector looks like. There’s no specific demographic. I’ve delivered art to all kinds of homes—spacious estates, small apartments, high-rise condos, and country ranches. The people who collect original art are incredibly diverse. What they have in common is that they value artwork that means something to them, something that can’t be found in a big box store.
That’s why showing up consistently matters. It’s not just about sales. It’s about building relationships, making connections, and letting your work evolve year after year in front of an audience that’s paying attention. The more I show up, the more I see that my art is building recognition. The bright, colorful pieces I create carry a sense of joy, and over time, that message is sticking.
Maybe that’s how my photo ended up in that email blast. The La Jolla Art and Wine Festival has been a highlight for me every year, and even though it doesn’t roll around again until October, I’m already getting excited to bring my best work to the collectors who return to see what’s new.
So whether you’re an artist setting up your booth or someone strolling through with a coffee in hand, know that showing up matters. The connections, the conversations, the small moments, they add up. Over time, they build something meaningful. I never expected to see my face in a festival email, but maybe that’s the quiet reward of consistency. You become part of the story without even realizing it. And I’ll be there again this October, ready to see who shows up, what conversations unfold, and how this creative journey continues to grow.