Ah, social media—the bane of every introverted, neurodivergent artist's existence. If you're like me, you'd rather crawl into a cave with a cozy cup of cocoa and some good art supplies than show your face on Instagram. But here I am, signed up for several "in-person" Christmas fairs, thanks to the coaching of Cool Ventures and the marketing wizard Katie Sands. It’s like being thrown into a festive lion's den—except the lions are wearing Santa hats, and I hate Christmas.
Yes, Christmas. That holiday when people inexplicably drag trees indoors and take lights outside. It’s loud, overwhelming, and frankly, perplexing. If I had my way, I'd hibernate like a sensible bear. But alas, I have to face reality, which in this case involves public appearances and "cheer". Gross.
You see, I’m an artist. Not the outgoing, cool, “I post daily on TikTok and Pinterest” kind. Nope, I’m the painfully introverted, ADHD-suffering variety who forgets to post anything for months. Social media consistency? HA! If I’m not in the middle of a hyperfixation spiral, I’m doomscrolling through everyone else's successes and achievements.
Case in point: As I prepare for these Christmas fairs, what does my ADHD brain decide to do? Focus on producing stock, checking packaging, and printing more cards? Oh no. That would be "too logical". Instead, I’ve picked up a completely new medium—linocut printing. Because clearly, NOW is the perfect time to become obsessed with learning how to carve intricate designs into linoleum blocks (including a trip to A&E to have my finger stitched up).
Naturally, I’m now deep into acquiring all the professional machinery and tools necessary for an art form I’ve barely touched before. Is this necessary? Absolutely not. Is it keeping me excited and distracted from my impending public appearances? 100%. Who cares if I’m not exactly prepared for the fairs? My brain has found a shiny new side quest, and it’s determined to avoid all other issues.
However, all is not lost. In the midst of this chaos, I have made some preparations for my inevitable face-to-face encounters with holiday shoppers. To sound more like a native and less like one of “them” foreigners stealing jobs and benefits (the case of the Schroedinger's foreigner), I’ve been listening to P.G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves & Wooster,” narrated by the one and only Stephen Fry. It’s like language osmosis. By the time Stephen finishes reading (about 40h), I figure I'll be ready to charm my way through the fairs with a posh British accent.
Will it work? Who knows! Will it help me deal with the overwhelming noise and tinsel overload of Christmas? Probably not. But at least I can imagine that I have someone competent like Jeeves in my corner. So, wish me luck as I navigate the festive jungle of social media, linocut obsession, and holiday fairs. Maybe I’ll survive, or maybe I’ll disappear into my linocut side quest forever. Either way, I’m committed—at least until the next hyperfixation takes over.
Happy Humbug! 🎄
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