Last week I was at the winter market for 3 days Bazaar du Sud. For the first time, a market in my hometown of Maastricht, with all the stallholders making beautiful handicrafts. I was really looking forward to it, and it was a real success. The makers and artists around me were all lovely people, and so were the visitors. There was so much diversity in different areas, and I always feel at home among people who radiate that. Family, friends, regular customers, even someone who traveled two and a half hours to get there came to visit. It was special!
Despite the praise, markets are a mixed bag for me. As an introverted neurodivergent person with ADHD and likely autism, such days are a mix of both the stimuli I'm always seeking and those I'm trying to hide from. At my very first market, I was nervous about every person approaching me. Questions like "What should I do?", "Should I say something, and if so, what?", "Would they like my work?", and "Am I doing it well enough?" dominated my mind those first few times.
Practice makes perfect. Markets take some getting used to. These days, I go into overdrive with the first customer. I chat with every visitor who's interested. I joke, I brainstorm, I sell. At the market last week, I decided halfway through that I'd do my fellow craftspeople a favor by taking pictures of their stands, and then I was everywhere and nowhere at once. Eating, drinking, sitting down, or taking a bathroom break? It didn't even cross my mind. The morning of the third day, I sat in bed crying because I didn't know how I was going to spend another day talking to people. Yet, it all came naturally again.
The week after a market is tough. All sorts of self-doubts surface, and I need to recover from all the stimuli. So, next time, I'll try to take a little more rest here and there, to learn that I can also give (almost) my all without feeling overwhelmed. Feel free to remind me if you see me at a market soon: I'm sure I won't succeed on the first try!
Next markets:
November 29, Ehrenstein Castle (Kerkrade)
December 7 + 17, Wonder Market (Marnis Nursery, Bunde)
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