Absolutely! I wanted to be very honest and transparent in this video because I sometimes feel like my own content contributes to that romanticization at times. And those little sacrifices you make in order to succeed, or even just to stay afloat, add up over time. You don't really realize how much this lifestyle can consume you until you've taken a step back!

This is such a sweet comment, thank you so much! Definitely a very rewarding journey, and I'm happy you've been reconnecting with yourself as well. And I'm excited to be back!! Thanks for stopping by :)

Thank you!! I hope I can continue helping other artists/creatives with my transparency. (And I would probably also take a 7 year break if I had kids! That's another full-time job!)

MOIRA HELLO!!! Always such a joy seeing you in the comments!! I'm really happy to be back, and I can't wait to make more videos :')

oh yes of course! honestly i was more than satisfied with my sales. i was never really unhappy with my performance at this con. not sure if my wording made it seem otherwise in this video? i never average 5 figures and never expect it, and i don’t do this full time for a reason. dreamhack was a good experience, and i thought the sales were more than reasonable for the size of the con and the new approach to their artist alley :)

i'm so glad this video was helpful! a lot of artists neglect to mention the tax side of things, which always throws me for a loop because you can get in big trouble if you don't have the necessary licenses! i don't want anyone to accidentally commit tax fraud TT anyway, thank you for watching, and i hope your first con was a great experience and that you feel more confident about the process moving forward :)

Same here!

honestly i can’t give a concrete answer. it might take a year to break even on everything, or it might take a few shows depending how successful you are. typically it takes on average at least 2-3 or even 4 years for a business to start being profitable. it all depends on your own start-up costs and how much you’re able to invest in your business up-front and how many shows you’re able to do and also how much it costs to attend those events in the first place. there are too many factors involved tbh. i don’t think i made any real profit until my 4th show iirc!

so sorry i just saw this!! i’ve been on a break so i haven’t been checking youtube. i know it’s late now since the deadline has passed but in the future i would look at travel costs and see how different they are. i think kumori is consistently quite a decent show despite its size whereas there are more uncertainties regarding anyc. i would personally attend the one with lower travel and vending costs. but if you’ve never done anyc, for example, and you’ve had prior experience vending at kumori, i’d go for the show you haven’t done yet (if you can afford it) and just see how it goes. if i were in your shoes, i’d go with anyc because i have people i can stay with and wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel for example. again, so sorry because i know the deadline has passed but this is typically how i weigh my options when choosing between multiple events :’)

hi i’m a sole proprietorship since that’s just what’s easiest for me personally. what you should apply as really depends on your business. applying to be an LLC has its perks but i don’t think it’s necessary for me or my business at this time

for first come first serve events dont hesitate!! treat it like concert ticketing 😭

always so so good to see you too!! i hope your july is better and that you have a lovely summer :')

bunny lovers unite!!!! thanks for stopping by and for giving my bunny charm a new home <3

yes the con is free to attend! sorry to hear about the walmart event but this event in particular is very good and is well known in the local community! it’s more of a con than a mini market in the sense that they have events and also guests as well :)

thank you!! and it’s good to be back! i’ll do my best to get these next few videos edited :D

i’ve discovered a lot of conventions through word of mouth and also through online convention lists and filtering by state! it also helps to follow local artists and see which events they’re vending at. i’ve discussed this in another video but i have tried local craft markets and similar events but have done poorly because the people attending those events aren’t my target audience. but if you have more general public friendly products i would give it a shot! i also dislike vending outdoors, so i try to avoid outdoor events these days :’)

i account for sales tax in the cost of my items. some people add it on when taking card sales but i find it easier to have people pay in whole dollar amounts. it depends on the individual. each state has its own process, but after doing an event, typically you can log into an online portal, most likely the same one you used to apply for the permit, and you can make your payment there. there are some states that make you do it through snail mail (seattle made me do this a couple years ago) but most states have everything online, i'm sure. just make sure you read everything carefully!

@@kathyvong thank you so much!

haha yeah they did but i don't have that issue with them anymore which is great :)

yes it's always good to start out doing more low risk events! you learn so so much from your first few events.

aw i'm so glad to hear that you enjoy my videos! i really want them to be calming and nice to have on in the background so this made me smile :')

thank you!! 😊

it was so so nice meeting you as well! i love the sticker i got from you, and i hope to see you at other events in the future!!! :D

thank you!! <3

honestly my only tip is to keep creating!! if you love doing youtube, keep making videos. i find that youtube is definitely a platform that rewards you as long as you keep posting. experiment with different kinds of videos, make attractive thumbnails, and with time, you'll eventually find your audience. consistency is key, but i'm not the best at maintaining a schedule and find that my growth has been very steady and consistent regardless of my long periods of inactivity.

thank you for your kind words. i hope i can continue making helpful content!

thanks for the support, April! it means a lot :)

aww hopefully next time you'll be able to nag a spot! and maybe i'll see you at matsuri :)

aw thanks moira!! i really appreciate it and also your continued support really means a lot. reading your comments always brightens my day!

yes!! i'm a graphic designer but i do occasionally dip my toes into other kinds of design as well (ui/ux, branding, etc) so i often say "design" or just refer to myself as a "designer." also thanks for watching! i appreciate the support <3

@@kathyvong That is so cool☺️ also hope for the best with all jobs! 🥹😂💖💖✨

thank you so much!!!

thank you!! :')

you're welcome!! ymmv with any manufacturer, but if you decide to work with them, i hope you have a great experience! i definitely recommend doing lots of shopping around if you plan on making pins though since different manus offer different finishes and pricing can vary wildly depending on your design, but my pins with them did turn out very nice. best of luck!

thank you so much!

no i did not go to art school nor did i study art! i went to a public state school and studied design. i might make a video about this in the future, but i could not afford to go to an art college and personally did not feel that it would be worth it either

WAH im so glad this video was so helpful!! i did my best to cover what i thought would be most important for people starting out 😭

cons can seem so daunting but if you do your research and just put yourself out there you may be pleasantly surprised!! when i started out, i wished there were more artists who were transparent about their experiences so im happy my content has been helpful!

omg thank you for sharing your experience also you're totally right, it definitely is a mixed bag. those are really really great sales for a friday though!!! definitely one of those weird hit or miss shows but it definitely could've been worse haha