The Hare and The Pear: 2023 vs. 2024

2023 started with tears and ended with cheers. To call the year a roller coaster would be like comparing your toaster to an active volcano.

Those ups and deep, steep downs are part of why I started The Hare and The Pear. I needed something that was mine. Something positive. Something moving.

In January of 2023, this site was empty. Now there are 114 products in my catalog from original paintings to prints to stickers to resin boxes and magnets. I'm pretty damn proud of what I've made using only my hands and my creativity.

When summer came, I pivoted hard to vending even though I feared I'd hate it. Do you know how many PEOPLE are at events? I thought all of the peopling would completely wear me out, but the opposite has been true. Unlike my days in retail, I like interacting with people, showing my art and seeing it make people smile.

Don't get me wrong: It's a ton of work. Vending is something you will always be revising if you decide to take the plunge. Your layout, your display, your prices, your greetings -- everything feels like it could be better if it was just a little different. If it's not in your tent, it's the events themselves. Do you fit at craft fairs? Is your display tight enough for a juried show? Pop-ups or downtown shops? Small events or large? Is summer your season or winter?

I started my first season of vending without a job. Wrapping up, I'm working part time with my eye on full time very soon. That doesn't leave me with a ton of time to create or to recover from packed weekends. 

So things are going to change.

The first change will be my shop prices. At the start of December, I dropped the price of my resin boxes by $5. That's going to be permanent. So will prints for $7. But customers at shows will be able to score even bigger deals. Repeat: prices will be lower at events!

Due to popular demand, I will also be turning many of my prints into cards.

I'm going to focus more on my drawing and painting this year. Improve my skills across a wider array of mediums. Those original sketches and studies -- also a popular request -- will be available for sale at shows. Most of them will be 4x6 and framed. I'm planning to sell those for $15-25.

I've also been busy working on Mystery Bags. These are $20 blind item bags filled with prints, bookmarks, stickers, and small resin pieces. Many of these items will not be otherwise available. If you follow my Instagram or Facebook, you've seen some of the bookmarks.

And lastly, you won't see a lot of this on my website. I haaaate editing my website. It brings me to tears. Frankly, I don't have to time to photograph, write copy, edit and promote. It's a grind. I'll still be active on social media, but I won't be pitching myself. If you are really interested in something you can't find on my site, drop me a line and we'll work something out. Otherwise, catch me at a show.