Nostalgia Con SLC (Year One)

This is was first year that Nostalgia Con came to SLC Utah (I think they had planned for last year, but it didn't work out, so it felt fun to be part of something new. Seeing the excitement with attendees, vendors, and artists all mixed together was great!

Conventions are kind of like how it is going to a baseball game vs. watching one on TV. It's just so much more exciting being there in person. People hyping up others, complimenting their cosplay (which they spent so much time developing), meeting new people (and celebrities), and of course, all of the art. I haven't ever had a bad time at a convention, and I'm always so happy when I see how everyone is treating each other with a lot of kindness. I think it's the right place to be mentally, just lost in our favorite fandoms with people in real life. The disconnect that we feel so often online fades away when we get to places like this--concerts are similar, and I like I said previously, going to a game.

I loved meeting all of the new friends and supporters from this show, and that is often the takeaway that we need to keep in mind when we do shows like this. It's not just about selling; it's very much about making human connections and interactions. That is a skill that, along with our art, needs to be nurtured and practiced. I want anyone new to this to take that to heart; networking is as large a part of the business as your drawing/painting skills.

This time around, I realized the crowd was more for anime art and less for comic book art, so I was underprepared for that. I still did well and made my booth fee back, which is always a goal of mine, but my art did not sell in the way I was hoping. Talking to other artists, we felt like prints had a harder time selling than smaller original art--like Sketch Cards, which sold rather well. So keep in mind that you may have to shake things up for certain events and adapt to those situations. That is something to take forward to the next event, always evolve and learn, and you should do well.

Most important is to treat anyone at the con with respect and love. We are all in this together, so let's build our community and make it stronger.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you have tips or tricks for conventions, leave 'em in the comments so others can learn from you. You can all be professors!!