Hazel Park Author Adventure

This weekend I went on another author adventure: a two-day art fair in Hazel Park, Michigan. It was full of firsts for me, a two-day show, my first art fair, and a town I'd probably driven through before but had never really stopped to explore.

The atmosphere was immediately welcoming. Inclusive, friendly, and buzzing with creativity, the event felt like a celebration of art in every form. The air was filled with the scent of fresh bread, homemade cookies, coffee, and organic soaps, while artists amazed me with their talent and imagination.

I marveled at circus performers, including a woman on stilts and trapeze artists swinging gracefully overhead. I admired creations I'd never have thought of myself, like air plants placed inside upside blown-glass bowls to look like jellyfish. One artist had painstakingly inlaid thousands of tiny pieces of tile and wood to make stunning mosaics. Another had created "man-mazes" drawings that doubled as intricate mazes. And then there was the man who transformed stumps and branches into birds. He glued, nailed, painted, and pieced them together into delightful creations, including the beautiful peacock I couldn't resist taking home. (He's now named Twiggy and brightens up my yard.).

But what made the weekend even more special was sharing the space with fellow authors. Each of us wrote in different genres and had different experiences, yet we were united by our love of the written word. People stopped by to ask about our books, and kids wandered in for free bracelets or snacks. Together, we shared our stories, our passion, and the reminder that writing, just like painting, assembling, or glassblowing, is an art form meant to be shared, read, and discussed.

I'll be honest: I didn't sell a lot of books. But I did sell something more important, my love for reading. I recommended other authors (both at the fair and beyond), connected with readers who stopped by, and left with my heart full from the conversations I had.

And beyond the books, I walked away with so many little joys: a new lawn sculpture, a deeper friendship with my tent-mate, pets with several sweet dogs (and even a rabbit), and the memory of a beautiful weekend underscored by live music drifting from the booth across the way.

Success isn't always measured in sales. Sometimes it's measured in experiences, connections, and the feeling of belonging to a community of creative minds. Hazel Park gave me all of that and more.