It is fair to say that “Spirit of Christmas” feels like an apt description of my current state — equal parts excitement, caffeine (not spirits, yet) and panic all experienced while drowning in Christmas ornaments. From 3 – 9 November, I will be exhibiting at the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia, London (Stand H165), my first ever proper stand at a major event.
The decision to do it was the result of a healthy shove from my younger brother: “You’re running a business now, Vick, you need to start making yourself feel uncomfortable — and then get used to that feeling.” I suspect he does not realise how well-practised I already am in the art of living in discomfort, having swapped the security of a regular pay cheque for the rollercoaster of self-employment and the pleasure of a cashflow statement that mostly points in one direction (and, for the avoidance of doubt, not inwards). I say 'rollercoaster', but on some days it feels more like that ride at Alton Towers which just hurtles you down into a massive dark hole.
The emails
One of the surprises of starting this business, is how few people I know in the creative and/or retail world. I have started from scratch, trying to work out how to meet artists, creatives and shop owners without coming across as pushy, weird, lonely or desperate (while being all those things). I need to push myself harder on this front, but, already, I have met some really friendly and helpful people. More on that in a separate post.
My lack of direct, useful contacts saw me plucking up the courage this week to write to the son of friends of my aunt and uncle. He has had a stand at Spirit of Christmas for a while and I wanted to ask for his advice. The email began with a confession: that I have spent a 25-year career as a lawyer before deciding I no longer needed electricity, clothing or food, and would instead become a full-time artist and designer.
I explained that my stand is modest, with two 500w sockets, a couple of lighting battens and a husband coerced into building the furniture and looking pretty on the stand all week. Amongst other things, I asked whether it was madness to skip the optional extras like cleaning services and additional Wi-Fi. (Spoiler: it probably is, but the ship — or rather, the round-the-world cruise I could have gone on for the same price — has sailed.) He has yet to reply and I fear my honesty about starting a business, including how I have been deafened over the last year by the roaring sound of cash flying out of my bank and into the arms of my suppliers, may have frightened him off.
The middle of night Instagram announcement
At 3.30 a.m. one night last week, I found myself bouncing up and down on my Swiss ball, propelled by an over-enthusiastic playlist and the thrill (and terror) of hitting “post” on Instagram. The terror mostly stemming from my family’s penchant for pointing out my spelling and grammatical errors (I await their input on this with trepidation) and some of my very kind followers who like to give me pointers on how I can make my post more legible and aesthetically pleasing next time - advice I rarely seem able to follow.
That reel announced the news officially: I’ll be at Spirit of Christmas Fair, Olympia London, 3 – 9 November, working with the lovely people at @spiritfairs and @clarionevents_ to bring VMJ Creative to a bigger stage. My mind has since been occupied by vital questions like:
- how many power sockets do I need?
- what is a four-way block?
- can I fit everything in the car?
- how much stock should I order?
- can a car be emptied outside Olympia within a half hour time slot with people watching?
- how will I look in high-vis gear while building my stand?
- will my husband divorce me for making him sell scarves for a week and wear an apron (he does not know that yet, but luckily, he will not read this)?
- will my parents evict me for filling their house with boxes?
Sweating my assets
Speaking of parents, my lovely mother has been drafted into production. She has already started stapling belly bands around aprons and threading ribbons through Christmas decorations and she knows she has sticking cork backs to coasters and boxing scarves to look forward to as well. Her working conditions are fair - she is allowed to sit in her favourite armchair and I have agreed to dig her out of the pile of goods when she needs to go to the loo. Her pay is reasonable - regular tea delivery AND a share of the fudge she bought me.
Mum has reminded me that her work is to compensate for the times she used to sit me on the kitchen table and make me lick stamps for the family mail-order business nearly half a century ago. Thanks to this revelation, I now understand why I am a bit thick - Royal Mail glue poisoning! The route to her sitting room (aka, the sweat shop) has become increasingly narrow as the stacks of cardboard boxes containing furniture for my stand and wares grows, but thanks to her MVP status, I am incentivised to keep it clear of trip hazards - I cannot lose my only helper (I will avoid the term "employee" for fear of the legal consequences).
Seemingly, I receive 100 delivery notifications every day (why, I ask, do I need to be told 5 times that a courier is on his/her way?). All of which I ignore, so it is a surprise when I open the back door and am faced with a wall of boxes. Many are too heavy to shift, so I have to unpack them in the porch before dropping much of their contents in front of mother, giving her a ‘sample piece’ and then leaving her to her task while I go to fret over how to display neck tubes.
Mum is, without question, the unsung hero of VMJ Creative.
Final thoughts (for now)
Preparing for this fair has reminded me why I took this leap. It is chaotic, expensive, exhausting — but it is also creative, exhilarating and full of heart. Whether this turns out to be the first of many events or my one-and-only Olympia adventure, it is a milestone I will never forget. I must have not lose sight of how lucky I am to be doing this.
If you would like to come and see my stand (H165) at the Spirit of Christmas Fair, Olympia London, 3–9 November, I would love to see some familiar (and new) faces. I have a limited number of complimentary tickets — please get in touch if you would like one.
For everyone else, there is an unlimited 25% discount on on-the-door ticket prices with the code EXPVMJ, to book tickets go to spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk
Wish me luck — and if you happen to see someone at Olympia slightly wild-eyed, armed with scarves, coasters, tea towels and a staple gun, that will almost certainly be me.