Our little “Hallmark town” in Franklin, TN has a few festivals each year. It’s hard to say which one is more appealing. We have the “Dickens of a Christmas” festival in early December, complete with roasted chestnuts and Victorian era costumes.

In April we have the Main Street Festival, which is three days of glorious spring fun with vendors and kids’ activities. I created my first postcard of Franklin including the Main Street Festival which is so fun.

But the PUMPKIN FESTIVAL in the fall is my favorite festival and the best time of the year, especially in Franklin. For the first time, I submitted my application to become a vendor, which I had dreamed about for the past few years. I loved the idea of sharing and selling my illustrations in the fun atmosphere of the Pumpkin Festival. I was happy to get word of approval as a vendor after several weeks of waiting and finally this past weekend we had the festival! It was a delightful, atmospheric, golden day of harvest fun, except for an unforecasted bit of unexpected rain.

Pumpkimportance?

We haven’t had rain for a least four weeks here in middle Tennessee and the last rain we had was devastating to our eastern Tennessee brothers and sisters. Planning for a Pumpkin Festival seemed a little frivolous as we saw families on the news looking for loved ones, and small business owners whose lives were washed away in the flooding and mud. But in talking my thoughts over with my sister, she kindly reminded me “Meg, the world needs a Pumpkin Festival right now.” I agreed.

Pumpkins On!

I had lots of help from my friend Syd and my son JD, and my husband. As we were setting up the inventory, a pounding rain set in and didn’t relent for almost two hours. Syd and JD and I scrambled with the $1 plastic tablecloths I had purchased (best thing EVER) as the first rain in a month came down in a deluge around us, blowing into the tent and collecting in a small river at the curb behind my original paintings.

Rain and paper products are not simpatico, so I was happy that I only had one painting that fell victim to the rain, and even that one–an original of the Pumpkin Fest itself–was survived by a dear friend of mine who came and helped at the end of the day (thanks TL Kel.)

“I will just put a new mat on this! No big deal!” She said.

All Was Not Lost

As the day wore on and the sun showed its face between the moody clouds, the soft amber sky of October gave way to little orange twinkle lights and the music of some buskers who had made their way to the corner of the street near my tent. The sun began sinking lower in the sky and thankfully taking the humidity with it. As I stood and chatted with TL in my tiny tent, with still-damp signs and a few warpy postcards, I felt gratitude.

There was a moment of the day when I smelled defeat (or the chocolate chip sourdough loaf) that hung in the air as the sourdough bread vendor booth across the way hung up a sign that said “SOLD OUT!” and folded up for an early closing.

I decided I would not compare myself and my booth to a food vendor (I mean food always wins) and decided to count my blessings. I felt content. I had stayed the course (but oof, my feet hurt) and I had met lots of nice people. I knew I would not break even on my side of the equation financially, but I reminded myself that I embarked on this journey for three reasons.

Why Pumpkin Yourself Out in the First Place?

(Syd loves when I use pumpkin as a verb.)

My initial impulse was to join the vendor ranks because I love fall and pumpkins and Franklin, and I wanted to be submersed in the “Gilmore Girls meets Hallmark” atmosphere of the Pumpkin Fest.

Secondly and more importantly, I wanted to venture to meet people face to face, despite how cantankerous it is out there in the world with the current state of affairs. I wanted to try meet and connect with new people on (what is considered to be) the last of the three transcendentals: beauty. It may sound silly but I have spent some of my life hiding. I don’t like conflict but I know there are times we must stand up for the truth. Before we can do that, we must SEE people. We must care about them and ask God to see them through us.

Finally, I wanted try to glorify God in the world by just being me, which is hard sometimes because you have to be ok with being vulnerable. Sharing my illustrations was just one way to do that.

I shared my work and let people know that faith is part of who I am. I had lots of faith-based stock in the booth from our Catholic parish bookstore, where they sell my cards and prints, and I was able to reference the paintings at times to the chapel across the street from my booth. It was nice to have the reminder that Jesus was with me all day and I knew it didn’t matter if my art was soggy, smeared, warpy or just didn’t sell. What mattered was it was out there and it gave me a way of sharing my heart with people and trying to connect with them.

Valuing Vulnerability

A few days before the festival I went to get change from the bank. I met a nice guy named “Mac”, who is also an artist. He was telling me he has an agent that values and sells his work for him.

Valuing my work was the hardest thing for me to do as I prepared for the festival. With great difficulty, I attempted to put a number on my hours of work, and the heartfelt images which are a depiction of things that matter to me, but may not matter to others. In the end I thought, what amount of money would it take for me to part with this? What if it no one appreciates it and comes back home with me?

But as the festival neared its end, a thought occurred to me: perhaps God feels that way?

God Would Rather You Come Home with Him

God created you, each person, with considerable detail, time and heart…

13 You formed my inmost being;
    you knit me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
    wonderful are your works!
    My very self you know.

PS 149

He let His creation come into the world to be considered and admired. He knows the value and worth of you, His beloved. He even went so far as to enter into the same dark world to make it safe for you. He did this with Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. A poor, newborn infant, in a barn, on a cold night, with parents who had nothing but love for Him.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. MT 28:20

Do You See Me In My Work?

Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to love God and one another as ourselves.

³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the greatest and the first commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” MT 22

God desires our participation in His plan to love us. He is the creator and the artist. He chooses to include us to love His “artistry” (each person and Himself) to one another.

He puts His tender heart in each one of us, His creations, and He perhaps suggests…

Consider my masterpiece. See how intricate and precious? See how I am reflected in these eyes? Love me here, where I am most vulnerable.

That impression came to my heart as I looked across the street to the chapel I have painted so many times. I felt He winked at my heart.

I see You, Lord. Your work is vulnerable too. I will try to treat each piece of your art with great consideration. Thank you.