On 17 & 18 November 2023, at Broaditch Farm in Kent, I will be selling my art for the very first time at the Christmas craft fair there. I’ll also have a stall at GHT in Southampton on 3rd December 2023, and I couldn’t be more proud of this moment. At the same time, my body is filled with anxiety about this next step on my journey as an artist – it’s been a long time coming, and I’m nervous!
A long journey to confidence
As I am writing this, I am somewhat in disbelief that this is the same Faine, who for years allowed her imposter syndrome to dictate whether or not she should dare to try and be a real artist, and sell her creations. Something happened to me this year; a turning point. I’ve discovered a new level of self-confidence that has laid dormant in me for my entire adult life, until now.
Many people who make art, whatever their chosen medium, will likely share similar feelings around selling what they create. Art is often very personal to the artist. Sharing it requires us to be vulnerable to rejection and critisism. Society makes it really hard to validate choosing your art over other more widely accepted ways of making an income. We’ve all heard people speak of getting a proper job – whatever that really means. But sharing art can also be incredible rewarding. It opens up the opportunity to recieve useful feedback. The art we create triggers questions, curiosity and contemplation. The art we create has the potential to evoke emotion and joy in the viewer. Putting our art out there is a much needed gift for the world to recieve.
I am no exception. My art has always come last after other life respnsibilites. That is not to say I regret making the decision to focus on the career that my real job provides. I don’t regret focusing on having meaningful relationships with my friends, family and partner. I also don’t regret focusing on rennovating the house that I now own. I can confidently say that I regret absolutely nothing. Creating art has taken a seat on a dusty shelf in my brain for a long time, but it was not without reason. But when it comes to my inner voice, it has not been kind. I have fought an often daily battle with my own inner critic, probably since the age of 18. It’s always there, shouting loudly into the ear of my mind, questioning why I’m not creating; why I’m not the artist my soul is screaming to be.
From bugbear to bug… share!?
Biologically, fear and excitement are made of the same chemicals in the body. They are both triggered by adrenaline. Learning this simple fact meant that I’ve started to question some of the anxiety I feel. Often, I’ve been able to convince myself that what I’m actually feeling is excitement (thank you CBT!). I’ve had a variety of opportunities this year to step outside my comfort zone in my career (in the real job I mentioned above), and it has enabled that comfort zone to grow a little. Sharing my art feels a little bit less scary now.
The inner critic in me was my bugbear for a longtime, and if you excuse the pun, I am about to bug… share my art!









These are the colourful creations I will be selling at the craft fair at Broaditch Farm in Kent, alongside helping my mum, AKA The Crafty Fudgeller with her stall. Also available in my eBay shop.
Art was an escape during the pandemic
These are the result of a goal I set myself at the end of 2019. I decided I wanted to set a proper new years resolution – to create more art. When the pandemic hit the UK in March 2020, I had just flown back from Peru, where I spent my 30th birthday travelling with friends. I was told by my place of work that I would be working from home for until further notice. It was an unsettling time, but with so much free time I started drawing again. I also wasn’t spending as much money because we couldn’t go out or travel, so I was able to buy myself an iPad. Creating on the iPad became a much needed escape from the reality of the pandemic.
Going for walks in our local parks in Southampton became one of the only activities we could do to get out of the house. I found myself naturally slipping into a form of mindful walking, becoming aware the seasons changing around me. I noticed the bees bumbling, and the birds and the squirrels going about their daily surries. Everything felt slower in these moments. I was walking for the sake of walking, and not for the purpose of getting to a destination. The journey was the destination. This experience of walking consiously and presently had a positive impact on how connected I felt to nature and the Earth. I would notice the smallest things, including the tiny insects I would otherwise unknowling passed by. Many of these pieces feature insects and are a celebration of these small creatures, their individual beauty and importance.
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its bauty”
– Albert Einstein
Creating joy through the use of colour
Strong, bright and neon colors can have an energizing effect on our emotions. They’re bold and stand out from their surroundings, which is why they can make us feel that way too. The brightness of the colours on my iPad screen would light up the often dreary exsistance we experienced during the pandemic, especially during the winter months. I’m partcularly drawn to the boldness of pop art. I also love the works that came out of the psychedelic art movement of the 60s. My own style takes inspiration from these styles.
All these pieces are all available as A4 art prints, digitally printed in the UK on part-recycled paper. They are packed using recyclable greyboard for support and biodegradable cellophane to protect them. Choosing environmentally friendly packaging is a really important part of taking these digital creations and making them into pysical, sellable pieces of art, without harming the environment.
To the reader who found this page after stopping by at one of the above mentioned Craft Fairs, I hope you enoy exploring my blog. For anyone who bought a piece of art from me, I am delighted that it bought you joy and I thank you for your purchase.
Stop by again soon for another post reflecting on my experience of selling my art for the first time.
Have a beautiful day
~ Faine