After a long break from attending any markets the first month of the year, I kicked off my first in one of my favorite little towns: San Luis Obispo! Seriously, this town is so cute and the people are equally amazing. I am always welcomed warmly and chatting with the locals is one of my favorite things about heading up north.
This event at the SLO Public Market was put on by The Makeshift Muse and as always, was a total success. There's nothing like attending a market where your fellow vendors are kind and helpful. It's actually because of this market that I've managed to make friends spanning from as far down south as Ventura to as far north as SLO. It is seriously one of my favorite markets and Angie, the Muse herself, is a gem!
As much as I love markets, though, it is essential to take time off between them for so many reasons. For me, I find that I personally am super exhausted after the holiday season. Just in one weekend alone, I had 3 markets in December, with a total of 5 for the month. I know that this is typically only the case during the holiday's but it takes a lot out of you, nonetheless.
Taking that break between transitional seasons can be the difference between burnout and keeping a manageable rhythm going; You don't want to overdo it or not listen to your body and end up injured or not feeling inspired!
Right before I head into full on rest-mode, I make sure I have enough energy to get ready for the upcoming season. This can often look like designing new styles, researching and observing trends, researching upcoming markets, and figuring out logistics. It can be a lot, but it's what helps make my load in the upcoming year less heavy and more manageable.
Rest is extremely essential to running your own small business and attending markets. Often when you're a small business, you're doing everything; wearing all the hats. It can get exhausting trying to manage all the tasks at hand, especially if you're not great about time management.
I know that it can get difficult to carve out the time to rest when you have so many different priorities and deadlines, but please remember that none of that matters if you're not checking in with yourself or letting yourself have days when you simply do the things you enjoy. Often times I've had to force myself to throw away the guilt of not prioritizing my business and dive into self-care and 10/10 times I am so grateful that I did.
I hope if you find yourself in the season of chaos, that you have great support and healthy boundaries! Remember it's ok to say no from time to time or to take a day for yourself. You know what they say, "you can't pour from an empty cup."
