Every so often, I pack up my books and artwork and head to the local market to peddle my goods. Moonlight Market at Church & State in Salt Lake City is one of my favorite spots. Maybe it’s the repurposed church with it’s beautiful mahogany details and stained glass windows, the glowing lights strung above the crowd, or the mix of local makers and night-owl creatives. The entire space just feels like a little portal into another world. It has become the perfect backdrop for creatives like myself.
Dark Fiction and Afterlife Imagery
As a feminist dark fiction author, I am familiar with the curious looks I get at markets. My work leans into darker themes. My stories explore the delicacy of life, power imbalances, and highlight women’s stories that are often overlooked. When someone stops at my table, drawn in by a cover or a print, it feels like meeting a traveler from the realm where my stories live.
At Moonlight Market, those moments happen again and again. People pause to ask about my stories and the worlds inside them. Some folks want to know about my characters. Others share why they love dark narratives. More still may share why they seek out art that evokes the strange or taboo. These conversations remind me that my work connects with people who understand the kind of worlds I like to build.
Art That Lives in the In-Between
Alongside my poems and stories, I always bring along pieces from my visual art practice. I create prints, designs, and photographs that explore the afterlife through moody imagery. My artwork has appeared in magazines, on book covers, and in local galleries. I have also helped create public art projects throughout Salt Lake City, most prominently in murals with Bad Dog Arts. Seeing my handiwork displayed on a market table, ready to be touched and chosen, is always exciting.
Visitors at the market always surprise me with how deeply they engage with my work. People ask about techniques, symbolism, and the stories that inspire my creativity.
Why Markets Matter to Creatives
Selling art and books at events like Moonlight Market is not only about completing transactions. Watching my work find new homes is exciting, of course, but the larger purpose feels more powerful. These events not only support creatives, but they help stimulate our local economy. This is especially important as we head into the holiday season. Being part of your local creative ecosystem has a domino effect. Authors sit beside ceramicists, jewelers, tarot readers, illustrators, herbalists, woodworkers, bakers, and more.
There is a shared understanding among us. We create to share with others. We create because it is how we see the world. We create because we absolutely need to.
Leaving With a Full Heart and a Lighter Box
By the time the evening ends, the air is cooler, the lights are dimmer, and the table I share with Collective Tales Publishing is emptier than when we arrived. I leave feeling energized and inspired. Events like this recharge me in a way little else can. They remind me that what I create—whether it is a story that explores the darker edges of womanhood or a print that hints at the afterlife—will find the people who need it.
Moonlight Market is a night of connection, reflection, and quiet magic.
Hope to see you at the next one!
xoxo,
Michaela Rae
V. Studio 