Do you have a helper/assistant?

I am finding that I need extra pair of hands at my bookings, I can handle the painting but I need someone to change out the water for my brushes, lay down a fresh paper towel and take pics of the faces when they are done. Do you do it all yourself or do you do all this stuff by yourself?

I do it all by myself, I thought I'd need someone, but as it turns out...I'm a control freak. I had someone help me twice, but I found that I was more comfortable doing it all by myself than I thought I would be.

I change the water, clean the brushes and put out paper towel myself ("clean" things) - I like someone else to get the next child sorted, into the chair, old one out of the chair and photo taken - as well as keeping distractors away.

My husband, my 17 year old daughter,and sometimes her boyfriend always go with me to festivals. I paint, and they handle taking up the money. They always hand out a business card when making change, and ask to "take a picture for our website and boards." We always tell them to give us until the end of the week and then check my website to see their picture on the internet. THEY usually visit my site, along with telling family members/friends to visit my site "just to see their picture!" Added exposure!

My husband or daughter's boyfriend also keep my water clean, and periodically provide me with a fresh drink and a bite of something to eat (ritz bits peanut butter cracker usually) to munch on. (usually just one bite and a sip between kids on busy days) I wash my own brushes and sponges (unless outrageously busy). I don't use paper towels, I use black towels and wet ones antibacterial hand wipes. I keep baby wipes if I need someone to clean their face for me.

I work by myself, except once in a while I'll have someone help me put up my canopy. It probably takes longer this way, but if they want to be painted they will wait. I also don't have to worry about anyone else making the wrong change and I don't have to pay anyone.

debranewmanart wrote:I also don't have to worry about anyone else making the wrong change

That's EXACTLY what happened with my "Helper"! She also was supposed to ask kid's parents if they would mind if I used a picture of their kiddo on my menu/website/facebook, etc and have them fill out a model release form...but she kept asking "do you wanna be on facebook?" and people were perplexed and just said no. I had to re-train her multiple times and she just kept saying it more and more awkwardly.

I use a helper for festival settings, but go alone to private parties. When I am painting at festivals, my hubby takes money and gives out my card to the folks in line, and my daughter changes my water and rinses out my sponges periodically.

That is why I married. Husband does that stuff, and paints too, and glitter tattoos, and does the booking and managing, and advertising, and the dishes, and the laundry, and watches the kids. HAHAHA dang that is nice.

I have help for fairs and large events....alone for private parties. Husband was invaluable at the larger fairs, we would have been a wreck without him...but I'm lucky that he's a professor and has summers off. Daughter is wonderful help but now that she's started school again, it's hard to coordinate her help. I wish I had enough work to keep her in the money...maybe next year.

D.