Success + exhaustion

I think these two words all too often go hand in hand.  To lead, to have a successful event especially when all of us are unpaid volunteers, means you’re in there doing.  You have the right people beside you but there are always little things that need to be in place and that means that you, the organizer, are in there pretty much the entire time making sure of the little things:  For us, at our art gala, that meant that the musicians had due recognition and billing, that the artist’s bios & business cards were displayed to advantage, that signs were made and printed and on and on…

Am I running in circles for nothing?
That’s something we, as human beings, always wonder.  Especially right before an event begins.

Our church art group, just had surprisingly successful show. I planned and had a lot in place with the help of some really great volunteers but always at the back of my mind was the thought that no one is really going to show up.  Last year it was dead.  Quite literally!  This year would be the same thing right?

Because of a scheduling goof we ended up in the top most part of our church.  Ironically it’s also one of the most intimate and friendly settings there is in the whole building.  Our “gallery” felt like a gallery not just a bunch of paintings on the walls.  This wasn’t an accident.  Countless hours were spent the day before jogging through the church, down to the basement, back to the office and then up to the top floor again and again, setting up pedestals, tables, creating atmosphere, making copies and putting up signs.  A friend and her husband walked countless blocks with fliers and leaflets to the point that she was reportedly sore the next day.

Nearing exhaustion yet it’s not over 

The next day through nearly the whole gala, though tired already, I was able to work and tend to the details of keeping food stocked and tables cleaned and cleared until evening.  At 5pm, my body began to crash and I finished one more check around the gala and quietly snuck home to finally sit down!  And eat!  That’s all I wanted.  I was drained.  A little moment of separation and some food and then I headed back again to close up.  I had to take care of myself and my health.  There were volunteers there to see to some if not all of the running of the event.  They did fine without me.

My one regret during the whole gala is that the seasoned artists who’ve gone through countless shows together and even a few fairs carried most of the event.  It will take time but the young bloods should have pitched in more.  Volunteers were greeting, musicians playing, but the artists are responsible for the gala: the food and the hosting.  That is my fault and a lot of it stems from my own fatigue and the thought that the event probably wouldn’t be a success.  As my husband wisely said “You’ll just have to teach them.”

What happened that day was the beginning of a legacy.

When we opened, the musician began to play and it was amazing.  I realized, in that moment, I should have found a volunteer to record this one of a kind event.  What we had accomplished had never been tried before and as the people filtered in throughout the day it was obviously an amazing success. This is an event that, if continued, will grow until it is looked forward to year in and year out — a legacy of art to future attendees of our church and the neighborhood.

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