Take your time.

Take your time

When I used to do shows with my mother, we would tear down a 10x20 display in under an hour.  Set up would take maybe 2 and I got in a habit of rushing to set up and tear down.  There was a major difference, there was 5 of us for my mother.  I’m doing this by myself.

Setting up mom’s display was tiring, there was probably 20 bronzes that needed to be packed in, the risers needed assembly and we had to unpack and place each piece.  When I was younger, she was a painter and we hand carried each piece 2 at a time.  The wire would cut into my hands and I longed for the day when she would do something that didn’t cut my palms and fingers; back to the bronzes.  I wish she had been a paper mache.

Things are different now, I have a really good cart and the wire is plastic coated.  Yes it really is better.  I’m a pastelist so each piece has glass but, the cart is a game changer.  What can take a serious toll is the heat.  It took me 2 hours yesterday and I still don’t have everything hung.  I’m going in this morning for that.  I would work, sit infront of a fan and rest.  It is 60 now, so it shouldn’t be as bad. (I hope)

I’m not young so I need to take my time, that is what I do.  I have 2 days of this and I can’t afford heat exhaustion or to get sick (maybe the same thing).  I’m going to go slow and steady.  I’m doing this by myself (unlike my mom who had 4-5 helpers) and I need to pick a pace that will get it done and preserve my strength.  I’m going to take my time.  It’s okay if I don’t get the prices up until today; after we open.  It will give me a chance to talk to everyone.

So, unless you have a mini-bus with a passel of teenagers; it’s okay to be slow.  This is a marathon, not a sprint.