I never thought I’d be selling my art. But there I was in September, standing behind a table at a local community art fair. My friend, one of those amazing people who believes in you before you believe in yourself, had paid for my table. No pressure, she said. Just try it out.

I decided to focus on linocuts. Something about carving into that material feels right to me. Made a few orchid prints. An octopus too. The octopus was just this idea that wouldn’t leave my head. Had to get it out onto paper.

Going in with zero expectations helped. Wasn’t expecting to sell anything. Just wanted to be there, to be part of it. But then something unexpected happened. Two people actually bought my octopus prints. Real people, spending real money on something I made.

The best part wasn’t the sales though. It was the conversations. People stopping by, looking at my work, telling me what they saw in it. Got some solid feedback from another artist friend too. The kind of feedback you can actually use.

That day changed something in me. Started thinking about new pieces. Different ideas. More prints I want to carve. More art I want to make. More stories I want to tell through these cuts and lines.

First times are scary. But sometimes you just need to show up. Put your work out there. See what happens.