Just show up
Something crazy happened this week—I did something I’ve never done before. I completely missed a drop-off date for an art show, and I was mortified.
I had submitted a piece to Lottery for the Arts, a major fundraiser for Blue Line Arts in Roseville, not far from my home. Meeting deadlines is something I do regularly, so I had no doubt I’d get everything in on time. I completed the paperwork, wrote the delivery date down on my physical business calendar, and moved on. But I forgot one crucial step: adding it to my phone calendar—the one I actually check.
The drop-off window was Sunday and Monday. My daughter was visiting from out of town that weekend, and since I had classes on Monday, I planned to drop off my piece then. What I hadn’t planned for was how distracted I’d been lately with everything going on in the world, which certainly didn’t help.
Monday came and went. I stayed late helping my students catch up, feeling good about how productive the day had been. On Tuesday, I focused on planning new online art classes (more on that later). Wednesday morning, I met a friend for a walk—just five minutes from the gallery, mind you—but still didn’t remember. Then, after another full teaching day, I was driving home when suddenly, Friday’s reception popped into my head.
And that’s when it hit me.
I never dropped off my artwork.
Cue full-blown panic mode on the freeway. As soon as I got home, I emailed the gallery director—knowing it was after hours—and decided I’d just show up the next morning with my artwork in hand. I figured, Why not? Yes, I was three days late, but maybe, just maybe, they were still installing the show. And if they weren’t? Well, I’d have to accept that I’d completely blown it.
After a restless night, I arrived at the gallery right as they opened, carrying both my literal artwork and my metaphorical hat in hand. And sure enough—they were still putting up the show. Not only that, but they were actually glad I came. They appreciated my donation and, despite me being undeniably late, they accepted my piece.
At this point, I can talk about it calmly, but in the moment, I was freaking out. I take my art business seriously and pride myself on being professional. And yet, here I was, showing up late like an amateur. It was uncomfortable. It was humbling. But what else was I going to do? Give up? No way. I had made a commitment, and I was determined to honor it.
Funny enough, the gallery director later told me that if I had called first, they would have told me not to bother bringing it. But since I just showed up, artwork in hand, they took it.
That got me thinking: What else am I overthinking? What else should I stop hesitating over and just show up for?
Sometimes, showing up is the hardest part—but it’s also the most important. So what could you be showing up for? Even if you’re scared, even if you feel like you’ve messed up, maybe all you need to do is take a deep breath and show up anyway.
I know that’s what I’m going to be doing.
Bones, Body, Spirit will be available as part of the Lottery for the Arts at Blue Line Arts, you can join me for the Preview Night Friday, Feb 28th. Visit Blue Line Arts website for tickets and more details.
