This week: Observations during Art in the Park Edited by: fyn  
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All perceiving is also thinking, all reasoning is also intuition, all observation is also invention. ~~Rudolf Arnheim
Naturalists, like poets, are born and then made only by years of painstaking observation. ~~John Burroughs
All ideas come about through some sort of observation. It sparks an attitude; some object or emotion causes a reaction
in the other person. ~~Graham Chapman
Observation is an old man's memory. ~~Jonathan Swift
One man's observation is another man's closed book or flight of fancy. ~~Willard Van Orman Quine
Surely it is time to examine into the meaning of words and the nature of things, and to arrive at simple facts, not received upon the dictum of learned authorities, but upon attentive personal observation of what is passing around us. ~~Frances Wright
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Art in the Park is a big deal. My company, as do many others, makes a lot of money and contacts through the people passing by. Obviously how eye-catching the booths affect the walkers, beckoning them in to explore, to look more closely. Over the past ten years, my booth (or booths) have changed as different things are tried to find out which is more effective. I've also learned to apply changes on the fly as every crowd, every year is different. Some folks are explorers, others want to whiz by without slowing down. It is like they scroll through the booths. Some, speaking of scrolling, wander, eyes glued to phones and never see a thing
This was the first AITP post covid cancelations. People were out in droves. Kids on shoulders, in strollers, pushed by mom or dad, and most families brought their dog or dogs as well. I saw every dog species from immense Great Danes and Newfies to teensy pooches carried in handbags or riding in doggy strollers to every size and breed in between. We had a ready supply of dog treats. Dogs can smell them and stop. While stopped the dogs get treats, the kids see the books and magic happens! Sometimes.
We have a table and two chairs set up on the edge of our booths. We invite the weary to stop, rest and watch the flood of humanity pass by. The kids are intrigued by our flight of dragons. Especially the shoulder-riders as we have numerous ones at their eye level. Anything to get people to stop. This year many did. Reading, perhaps influenced by the pandemic seems to be making a comeback!! One thing that was quite different this year was the number of POETRY books we sold. Usually, we might sell a copy or two. This year, we sold numerous copies of each of the four different ones we offered! I heard many comments that people said they'd 'rediscovered the joys of reading poetry' while locked down at home. One said that it was much nicer to read poetry now that he didn't need to for a class, but could read for the sheer enjoyment of it! YAY!!!
Seems many people decided to spend lockdowns writing their version of the 'great American novel,' which they now want to publish --so we had many inquiries along those lines. We gave short spiels, handed out flyers, and invited folks to call during the week. At least three people told me that they have written a 'guaranteed bestseller.' No bubble bursting at Art in the Park. Maybe, one of them has! You just never know.
On another note, I saw hundreds of folks strolling along-- hand in hand. Teens, young adults, seniors, parents. It was so nice to see! Even later in the day, folks seemed to be in really excellent moods. Even while carrying a sleeping child to tugging along a tired three-year-old. One child was out cold, riding on the back of a black and white Newfie!
"I only read books on my Kindle." Take a picture of the book so you remember it, all our books are on Kindle on Amazon. Our sign says Wynwidyn Press. "So, are you a real publisher?" "Did you publish all these books?" "People really wrote all these books?" Sometimes it is difficult to be professional. 'No, their dogs did!" (I only thought that - wouldn't say it!) "You have a lot of books here." Happily! We also received a lot of great feedback on our book covers. People liked how several of our series have similar covers. It also made my cover artist's weekend! Especially when she was asked to sign books she's designed covers for!
Wandering the event, I saw everything from beaded artwork, to welded yard spinners to freeze-dried candy (YUM!) to jewelry to clay critters. Fantasy artwork, woven bags, tapestries, whole log tables, and handcrafted everything you could think of! I saw many, many people with pink, purple, turquoise, or rainbow striped hair from every age across the spectrum. It was like watching a circus cavort with a carnival while colors exploded and scents of elephant ears and pizza scented the air.
Less than in other years, but I still got the comments like - 'Who reads anymore?" or "I haven't read a book since high school." (That from a mid-fifties gentleman.) or "I don't have time to read." These types of comments make me sad. What made my day was the number of teens who bought books! Lots of grandparents bought books as well.
I wrote down several pages of observations, quick descriptions, odd conjunctions of people together, threatening grey-green clouds (which happily coasted on by), and cool artwork. I heard folks conversing in numerous languages, and watched patiently as a six-year-old counted out her own money to buy a book. (She left with several freebies as she'd deliberated for perhaps fifteen minutes making up her mind as she could only afford one book.)
I slept yesterday. Every year I say I'm getting too old to be humping some twenty totes of boos, tents, tables, etc. I'll be doing it again in two weeks. Summer = fairs and shows. And I'll do it next year and the years after that. Every time I sat down for a moment, I saw another cool thing or person. So many ideas are buzzing. An explosion of people, sights, and sounds. Pretty much a poet's dream!
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Hear the other shoe dropping. It is little brother not big brother watching. "We are them"
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Monty  comments: I think of words at times when I am doing something and if I don't write them down. I have too soon forgotten them. Last night I got an idea from a song and it fit too well . Something like, It is getting closer, going faster than a roller coaster.
Mary Ann MCPhedran  writes: Hi, Thos is how I spend my time at the beach on holiday in CYprus.
In a little cafe
Facing the sea
people watching
is how I spend my day
Note book in my hand
and the view is grand
and I write what I see
People play
becomes poetry
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Poetry: June 08, 2022 Issue [#11400]
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